Opposites Attract
by gothgirlstrikesagain
Summary: "You don't know what it's like, my Mom couldn't even look at me, she sent me away because of what I did!" "At least you had a home, All I had was my lighter." I never expected to get along with John Allerdyce, especially due to our first meeting. We had to despise each other, his power is fire, mine's water. but I guess opposites do attract... (Different summary, first one was bad)
1. Aquaphobia

**Hello everyone. So yeah, erm...I kinda got addicted to watching Pyro tributes on YouTube.**

**you're gonna have to bare with me at the moment because I haven't actually watched any f the x men films...I have sinned! Bum not kidding, I briefly remember going to see x men: the last stand (I was like six at the time, didn't even know the title until a few months back) and I got so freaked out that I refused to watch any of them.**

**since I've been getting into marvel and dc comics and films a lot more , I decided it was about time I got onto the x men wagon, and immediately liked pyro. I don't know why, his mutant powers and cocky attitude was interesting and I really want to learn more about him, seeing as Ive only really seen the comic version.**

**im hoping to get a better understanding of each character as I write but also watch the films, I got the wolverine origins comic a month back and I remember seeing him in last stand and yeah, another mini crush there. I'm trying so hard not to fangirl, but its difficult! I'm a nerd when it comes to marvel and dc, so hopefully this will turn out okay.**

**there will likely be major gaps between each chapter as I watch the films and do research, but I will try to keep them quite short depending what free time I get. That was a longer introduction then I was expecting O.O.**

**with that done, on with the chapter**

* * *

_So go on and scream,_

_Scream at me I'm so far away (so far away),_

_I won't be broken again (again),_

_I've got to breathe - I can't keep going under,_

_ Evanescence ~ Going Under_

* * *

I watched the water swirl around me, the clear blue calming all my senses. The swimming pool was quite large, even if it was inside Professor Xavier's school for the gifted, you could easily get a decent lap out of the length. Silently, I sat crossed legged at the bottom of the pool, my mind buzzing with happiness as the isolation calmed me, the chaos of school life deteriorating the longer I stayed in the water. Holding my breath wasn't hard, heartbeat at a steady pace as I slowly looked up, the water allowing me as we had a mutual arrangement.

Pushing my body upwards, I swam to the surface, taking a gasp as oxygen spilled into my lungs, gracefully breaking through the water. I heard clapping, with a smile I twisted my body ninety degrees to face my best friend. Johanna stood aghast at the edge of the pool, her brown skin and black hair making her one of the prettiest girls at school, getting loads of attention. I didn't really care, focused more on school work then relationships, work so much easier and less complicating.

"Twenty minutes, a new record." She exclaimed, still unable to believe that I could stay under that long. I performed breaststrokes to the nearest edge, hoisting my wet body to sit on the side. My fingers weren't even wrinkled, perfectly smooth without a single dry patch.

"I don't know why, I like water, its the only place I can think." I replied, kicking my legs in the water so splashes twirled on the surface.

"I swear you're part fish." Johanna commented, thinking herself smug as she turned her nose up at me with jealousy. Feeling mischievous, I spread my fingers and raised a hand slowly, willing the water to shape in a small bulged twisting mould. It did as I commanded, the strain not so hard as mastering the ability gradually got easier. Instantly I turned my hand in Johanna's direction, the bulge following it and splashing into her face. Instantly she was drenched in the liquid, hands raised in shock as heavy breathes escaped her mouth.

I cried with laughter, pranks not usually my thing. Johanna didn't find it so funny, her brand new clothes bought by her parents, all the expensive brands on every inch of her body.

"You're gonna pay for that Sam." She roared, my cries turning into bellows as I clutched my sides. "Stop laughing _Samantha_." That got my attention, hating my full name.

Eventually I did stop, apologising through smirking lips. Luckily Johanna took it lightly, smiling at my disheveled appearance. My black hair holding strips of dark blue, Johanna nick naming me Aqua due to the deep colour. It was completely drenched and felt crumpled, my swimsuit clung to my body as it usually does after swimming, but it doesn't bother me all that much.

"I'm gonna sneak off and have a shower before our next lesson." I concluded, not wanting the smell of chlorine following me for the whole day, Johanna nodded, agreeing with my intentions. I clawed to my feet and padded off in the direction of the girl's changing room, a trail of puddles following me like a lost puppy.

I assumed Johanna had gone to grab stuff out of her locker, hearing her bangles clicking together against her wrists, the noise irritable to me. Hastily I turned the hot tap on, fresh water slipping down my body, washing away any remanance of chlorine. I sighed happily, the sensation bubbling against my skin.

_** "Sammy wait! Mom says we're not supposed to go in the lake." **_

_**"Come on, it'll cool us down." **_

_**"But I can't swim!" **_

_**"I'll be right here, nothing bad is gonna happen. I'm always gonna be around to protect my little brother."**_

I gasped, the warm water streaming down my throat. The memory had unwillingly appeared behind my eyes, sending a wave of fear through my body. I clutched the tiled wall of the shower with both hands, trying to steady my mind as my body shook violently. Inhaling and exhaling became gradually easier, these short panic attacks torturing me at any given moment.

_Just calm down, turn the water off and get changed._

I ordered myself, forcefully doing it even with the memory still pulsating through my brain. The water stopped dripping down my body as I switched the tap off, making my way towards a locker, gripping the handle as I tried to force it open.

"Trust me to use the bloody sticky one." I moaned as my firm grip on the handle tightened, pulling as hard as I could. Still it wouldn't budge, so I slammed my fist against it in rage. I hissed as pain pulsed through my hand, regretting the brashness immediately

That day had started out as non chaotic break, just a chance to feel like I belonged. But no. I had to be reminded of what happened, of what brought me here in the first place.

Pushing the damp strands of hair out of my eyes, I again tried to yank the locker open, with it finally admitting defeat with a loud squeak. Mentally I fist pumped, grabbing my clothes as I slipped into a beige cubicle. A single mirror screwed into the wall, the reflected image stopping just above my shins, the lower parts of my body cut off. I'm never the vain type, but I couldn't help but take in my appearance. Black hair lying limply above my shoulders, the messy look that I know Johanna hates. Two beads of deep blue strips sitting both sides of my cheeks, a fashion accessory I was born with. Quite pale skin, considering I spent most of my childhood either in freezing lake water or inside in the dark of a farmhouse. Blue eyes that Johanna find dazzling, personally, I just think they're average. I'm reasonably slender, my taller than average height complimenting the slimness, making me look a lot thinner than I actually am.

"One day, one day I'm going to do something about this hair." I murmured to myself, the messiness something I can't seem to get rid of no matter what I do, it just always ends up looking unkempt. I slipped on a plain white t-shirt and black hoodie, blue jeans and plain trainers as the tomboy look hasn't changed since I was eight. People say you should be more diverse with what you wear, I wear what feels comfortable, what feels right.

Stepping out of the cubicle, I shook my hair like a wet dog, droplets of water flying everywhere. Using a towel, I had dried most of the water off my body, but it ends up still staying moist, like a constant reminder of what I can do.

Dumping the swimsuit into a plastic bag, I made my way to another locker in the corridors, grabbing my school bag before Science with Dr McCoy. Students of every size, age and mutation bustled through the corridors, a common sight though many normal humans thought it surreal. To me, this was everyday life, at the end of the day I can't change who I am and I might as well accept it. Though the nagging sensation never diminishes, the day at the lake still tarnishing me from excelling in life in general.

As I hooked the bag over one shoulder, I heard a click sound, like a metallic object. Scanning my eyes for the sound, I noticed a boy leaning against a locker a few metres away. It didn't initially hit home that I had heard the click with shouts and bustling feet, too immersed in this new face.

The object in his hand was a lighter, shaped like a shark's jaws as an orange flame sprouted from within. The boy didn't acknowledge me looking at him, his far off gaze as he clicked and unclicked the lighter. Honestly, he wasn't the best looking guy in school, but he wasn't ugly either. Brown hair combed back, plain brown leather jacket, beige t-shirt. By the way he kept making the orange flame appear, I quickly concluded that Johanna had mentioned something about a guy that had a lighter like that. Allerdyce I think she said, how his arrogance and snarky comments made him a total jerk. He did have that ignorant egomaniac aura about him, but he didn't seem all that bad.

I stopped staring, shutting my locker and making my way towards science, having to pass Allerdyce in the progress. Still he didn't notice me, which I was glad of, not wanting a conversation with the fire obsessive.

* * *

The class was already pretty full, claustrophobia apparent as I tried to slip into a seat close to Johanna. She had taken a seat in the centre of the room, me, having to sit behind her as the other desks had been taken. She smiled at me as I passed, her not being overly bothered about sitting next to me as a guy took my place, her flirty side brought forward.

I rolled my eyes, knowing all too well that Johanna would take him for a ride, able to persuade nearly anyone to do what she wanted. From what I've seen her do, it's like a minor suggestion, but it always ends up with her getting what she wanted.

The class chattered amongst themselves, waiting impatiently for Dr McCoy as the warning bells rang through the school. I stared around the room, wishing I could just slip away and back into the swimming pool, needing the feeling of water against my skin. I'm very hypocritical in that respect, Allerdyce maybe obsessed with fire, but I _need_ water to stay sane.

The classroom itself was quite squished, seeing as so many students had to be crammed in. Plain cream walls with the old vintage polished wood beams above our heads, still, it was keeping up with the modern ways. I spent most of my stargazing out the window, winter frost covering the once luscious green grass, sending a bitter cold breeze around the grounds, bare trees tilting and shimmering in the early evening.

"Apologies for my tardiness, settle down class." Dr McCoy's intellectual voice addressed the class. His blue fur form holding a suitcase, everyone oblivious to the fact he had walked in. I obediently waited for the lesson to start, quite happy to let Dr McCoy's monotone voice help me fall asleep on the desk.

He slammed the suitcase onto the table, everyone quickly became quiet, eyes firmly locked on Dr McCoy. He smiled, revealing two rows of sharp white teeth, nobody in the room wanting to anger him further.

With the class quietened, he turned to the chalkboard and began scrawling with a piece of chalk, the all capital writing exceptionally neat. I found myself intrigued as the letters formed a basic word; usually I instantly lose focus, but the word read something that I knew would benefit for me.

**_Water_**

That was the single word he had written on the chalkboard, all the letters perfectly lined in a straight line and adequate spaces apart. I felt eyes bore into me, a few heads turning as they knew my ability was, in fact, managing to manipulate water.

This was embarrassing.

I don't blush with red, but the room seemed to become a lot warmer since the word had been written.

Water and I have a complex relationship, we despise yet need each other, or I need water more than it needs me. Either way you look at it, water will always be a part of me in more ways than one, I can't part from it, I can't properly control it, but at least we can share an understanding.

"Water or H2O is often perceived to be ordinary as it is transparent, odourless, tasteless and ubiquitous. It is the simplest compound of the two most common reactive elements, consisting of just two hydrogen atoms attached to a single oxygen atom. Indeed, very few molecules are smaller or lighter. Liquid water, however, is the most extraordinary substance." Dr McCoy explained, all his scientific analysis and planning boring most students into a coma, me included, but like a dog wanting a bone; I listened intently.

"Although we drink it, wash, fish and swim in it, and cook with it (although probably not all at the same time), we nearly always overlook the special relationship it has with our lives. Can anyone tell me any disasters that might occur without water? Or possibly too much?" His questions were met with silence, nobody in the class willing to raise a hand.

He waited a few more seconds, probably to give us a break from his voice, before answering his own question.

"Droughts cause famines and floods cause death and disease. Those are just a minority of reasons why water is so important, after all, it is half of what we are...and more for some." He added, undoubtedly directing it at me, even if he didn't look at me.

Before he can carry on talking, a boy lazily stumbled into the class. I quickly recognised him as Allerdyce, the egomaniac and the guy from the corridor. I didn't even know he was in this class, unless another teacher had told him to leave their classroom as a warning. Either way, he stood at the door, seeming to be already bored by just entering the room.

"Ah Mr Allerdyce, better late than never. Take that seat over there by Miss King, and no more tardiness." He scolded, quite hypocritical but nobody argued. I silently cursed, me being _Miss King_. Allerdyce stomped over to the seat, ignoring me completely as he leaned back in the chair. I took no notice, concentrating on Dr McCoy as he continued on the importance of water.

* * *

The lesson had gone on for eternity, or so it felt anyway. Admittedly, I had learnt some new proprieties about water I hadn't known, which in turn would help me further understand what I could and couldn't do with it.

Instantaneously, I packed my textbooks and coursework in my bag, ready to get to my room and block out the universe. Glancing over at Johanna as I zipped the bag up, I saw she was in deep conversation with the guy sat next to her; I concluded I would be in our dorm alone.

Standing up, I hooked the bag over my shoulder and began walking towards the exit. Only, a sturdy object caught my foot and nearly sent me flying to the ground, I just managed to grab a desk chair and regain my balance, heartbeat quickening for a few moments.

With blazing eyes, I turned around to face the culprit, looking at none other than the smug Allerdyce.

_ I seriously need to learn his first name._ I mentally noted, having to keep using his second name becoming increasingly annoying. He looked up at me with a tilt of his head, still seated in the chair with one outstretched foot which I had tripped over.

"What the hell was that?" I snapped, tiredness attacking me suddenly, making me aggressive, a characteristic I didn't think I had.

"Your foot was in the way of mine, maybe you should've moved it." He suggested arrogantly, knowing exactly what he had done, taunting me to no extent. I bit the inside of my cheek, holding back curse words as Dr McCoy was still in the classroom. Allerdyce found my forced silence amusing, slowly stepping out of his seat. Luckily everybody else had left in a hurry, nearly nobody seeing the confrontation. He made the point of extending is full height so he towered above me, smirk plastered on his face.

"Look where you're going next time eh?" He whispered, the smug tone complimenting the smirk perfectly. He snuck past me, making sure I saw his wink before slipping out the door. I gripped the strap of my bag tighter, my knuckles whitening.

"Miss King, isn't it about time you got on with your coursework?" Dr McCoy's voice rang out, I looked in that direction and found him scrawling notes on the whiteboard for his next lesson.

"Yes sir." I replied rather melancholy.

"You seem to be rather distant recently, is there a reason for that?"

"No sir, just the extra homework has been a bit piled lately."

"Very well, but be sure to tell a member of staff if there is something wrong, we are all hear to listen." He answered with empathy, never turning his furry face away from the chalkboard.

"I'll keep that in mind sir." I said, knowing he wouldn't let me leave without an answer. I took this as my chance to slip out of the classroom, suddenly feeling down, I practically jogged towards the dorm.

Having to slip through crowds of people was irritating, but I couldn't do much else as the corridors were filled with people. Casually I made my way to the lockers, making sure everything I needed for coursework was put in my bag. Luckily Allerdyce wasn't leaning against the locker like before, in fact; there was no sign of him. I took it as a miracle and slammed the locker closed, again swimming in the waves of students as I purposely targeted on getting to mine and Johanna's dorm.

* * *

"Sam you fell asleep again." The voice made me grumble, the hard table slightly made comfier with a pile of opened textbooks. Rather indignantly, I sat up with a piece of paper stuck to my face. Johanna's giggles sounded from the couch, my vision blurry from the rude awakenment. I yanked the paper of my face, it peeling off slowly.

"I hate this coursework, and it has to be given to Professor X so it needs to be perfect." I moaned, envious that Johanna didn't have to do it. I looked over to the couch and found her wiping on fresh makeup, she was going out, having fun with her new boyfriend.

"Stop being so sorry for yourself and get some party clothes on, we're going out tonight."

_We, since when was I invited?_

I thought mentally, normally finding myself alone in the dorm when Johanna went boyfriend hunting.

"Where are we going?" I asked, intrigued to be going out for once instead of doing work.

"There's a bar just outside school, all the older students go there. That guy I was talking to in science is going, they serve alcohol and everything. So go get ready." She said quickly, not even giving me chance to decline the offer.

I lazily zombie-walked towards my bedroom, still groggy from the uncomfortable power nap. Opening the oak drawers, I searched through every clothing I had, finding nothing that seemed sexy or attractive. It was alien putting on anything other than casual clothes, I had so little party clothing, that I scrunched my eyebrows in confusion.

"Johanna, could help me?" I called towards the main room, hearing an exasperated sigh escape her throat.

"For christ's sake! What would you do without me?" It was more of a statement than a question, though I could tell it was just a bit of fun for her, she always liked giving me fashion advice. She stormed in, high heels and half finished makeup, and yanked clothes out of the drawers one at a time.

I patiently sat on the edge of the bed, the maroon sheets lumpy and unmade as neatness never seemed to be in any aspect of my being.

"Ah here we go! Now this is perfect!" She exclaimed, turning to show me what she had found. I face-palmed, this _perfect_ outfit she had found I hadn't worn in over two years, and it made me cringe just looking at it.

* * *

**This is set before the first x men film, not sure if I will include them or not, probably will due to Pyro's switch and that. Im hoping this is okay, please review if I've madeany spelling errors or if the characters are OOC or just anything you think can be improved, I love getting feed back as it helps me know what you want from this story.**

**Anyway, until the next chapter.**

**~gothgirlstrikesagain**


	2. Nightmare Night Out

**As I had this idea pretty much set up, I thought I would just but it out there. I wouldn't call this "mature" content as such, but I'll just out a warning anyway as its a touchy subject for some people.**

**i fell in love with this song after watching a tribute for pyro, it fits him so well it's untrue!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything accept OCs, all the rest belong to the creative mind of marvel.**

**with that done, on with the chapter...**

* * *

_Cause I'm highly flammable,_

_A caged up animal,_

_I will go off on you,_

_You better take it back,_

_I'm about to snap,_

_I will go off on you, oh,_

_Porcelain and the tramps ~ Gasoline_

* * *

The skirt was way too tight, the black fabric just covering my bottom, thus having to wear black tights as not to look like a slut. Saying that, the top I wore held pins in particular areas that made me look like a gothic Frankenstein, the sleeves tightly clung to my wrist, and rips in the fabric meant I had to wear a black shirt underneath. Boots that came to my knees finished the outfit, luckily the heels weren't so large that I couldn't walk.

"I don't know about this." I insisted, feeling uncomfortable in the clothes, way past the gothic/slut stage from when I had been an adventurous rebel.

"You look amazing Sam. Just try and have some fun tonight, we both need a break." Johanna replied, not even looking at me as she stared at the building. New York City at night is a beautiful sight, the different vibrant colours lighting up nearly every inch of the city.

Unfortunately, this bar that Johanna's _friend_ had mentioned, wasn't as glorious as we had expected. Hidden in an narrow alleyway, me almost tripping over beer and vodka bottles as we lumbered down it, meant the place clearly didn't want to be noticed. We came to an iron door, orange rust covering certain areas such as around the door handle.

Johanna looked at me as if I had an answer, I shrugged my shoulders, one of the pins scraping against chest, I hoped there wouldn't be a mark. She loudly knocked on the iron, the sound projecting loudly along the alleyway.

The first few minutes nothing happened, then the door opened to reveal a burly doorman. His bald head was tiny compared to the rest of his body, his physique easily compared to a blob form than anything else. He looked us up and down in a suspicious manner, then spoke with a gruff voice.

"Identification."

Johanna and I shared a confused look, the doorman sighing before explaining himself.

"Show me your mutant power." He sounded annoyed, so we quickly thought of a way to show him, Johanna going first as she telepathically said something to him. He grunted, finding whatever she had said offensive. I searched for any type of water, hastily finding a drain attached to the building behind us. I raised a hand, extending my fingers apart and focused on the water that dripped out of it, there was just enough to create a small sphere of water. Slowly I forced it to move in front of me, so the doorman could see.

He was satisfied, so I let the water drop onto the floor of the alleyway with a plop. The iron door opened as the doorman pulled it open with little effort. Me and Johanna slipped inside, making sure we made no eye contact at the doorman.

Instantly we were met with music blaring and disco type lights, shades of orange, red and green were common as they danced among the many different mutants.

When I was at Xavier's school with other mutants, I felt safe and accepted, here, was a different feeling;I felt unwelcome. Johanna noticed by unease, for once concerned for my sake as she knew I hated crowds of people, but she remained strong and hook an arm around mine. She guided me to a table in the corner of the massive bar, away from most people so I didn't feel claustrophobic. Still there was this danger hanging in the air, a sensation that warned me multiple times. I just tried to ignore it, not letting it spoil the night out.

We sat at the table, a red tablecloth with a few smudged stains lay over the wood. Johanna stayed close to me, as reassurance more then anything else. Unlike any normal person, we didn't go up and buy drinks, we (or rather Johanna) waited for an unlucky victim, nearly every single one falling for Johanna's charm.

It didn't take long, maybe about ten minutes we sat in the corner, all the rays of colour passing over us every few seconds. A guy built for soccer walked up to us, quite thin but with muscles that meant he would be good at agility, quiff his style that was a midnight black.

The only imperfect thing about him, was that his eyes bulged like two golf balls on either side of his nose, I personally didn't have anything against him, he wasn't exactly in attractive but I could tell Johanna was looking for a different type.

"Evening ladies, mind if I join you?" He asked smoothly, neither of us able to protest as he quickly zipped into the seat closest to me. It was easy to see his mutant power was moving exceedingly quickly, which meant we had no time to react to his quick movement.

"You can join us, if you're buying." Johanna offered, the guy not evening having second thoughts. I could smell his stale breath from where I sat, all it reminded me off was newly caught fish.

"Any preference?" He asked, still using that sly smoothly tone. Johanna bite her lip seductivly, as if she were trying to think of a reasonable drink.

"A couple of vodka shots, with lemon." She ordered, batting her eyelashes (she really didn't need the suggestion power, all she needed was to be herself.) Luckily he left without question, hastily disappearing towards the bar with his superhuman speed.

I turned to Johanna, a surprise/impressed look on my face.

"I thought you would have told him to hit the road, why didn't you?" I asked with honesty, Johanna just smirked knowingly.

"The thing about guys like that, they're so desperate they'll do anything for a shag...but he ain't getting any tonight." She answered without a shred of sympathy for the guy she was playing, it was cruel, but from how he had acted he probably deserved it.

As we waited for the drinks, I scanned the room in search of anyone from school. There were a lot of burly guys hulking down strong drinks of red liquid, women in tight revealing skirts cackling amongst themselves. It wasn't a place for me, I couldn't sit still as paranoia slithered in my brain.

"Look I might just go back home, its too crowded." I went to stand up when Johanna gripped my shoulder, eyes full of what I could only describe as being fear. This fear struck me, never expecting to see the emotion in such an outgoing person. We'd known each other since the first day I joined Xavier's school, and honestly, I would be a wreck without her bringing me out of my shell.

"The bus isn't going to be here for another hour, lets just stay for a drink and then we'll go. Don't leave me here alone, _please_?" She asked, no, she _begged_. I understood, she didn't like this place at all but she didn't want to seem weak. Quickly I sat down again, smiling reassuringly at my best friend, silently saying:

_ "I would never leave you alone, you never left me."_

We chatted for a bit, Johanna's fear gradually deteriorating the more we gossiped. Mostly Johanna did the gossip, going on about a new kid named Bobby and how is mutant power was super cool (unknown to me that she meant literally) and that he was a hottie. I listened half heartedly, really just wanting the comfort of our dorm around us as we chattered.

The guy came back with our drinks, walking at normal speed as not to spill the drinks. He placed the tray of vodka shots onto the table, there being a lot more than a couple.

"I thought we might have a little drinking game." He explained, obviously meaning Johanna and not me. She thought for a second, wondering whether this was a good idea or not, to me it wasn't, and Johanna seemed to acknowledge my concern.

_"If I get too into this, do anything you can to stop me, and I mean **anything**."_

She telepathically sent to me, giving me the responsibility of the mature one. She smiled at the guy, biting her lip again.

"Sure, lets liven up this place a little."

* * *

I tried desperately to stop her, but whatever I said she would just take another shot, unaware how much alcohol was going into her system. I had lost count of how many she had had, me way past worry and onto complete fear that she would drink too much. The guy, now named Fredric, kept buying more and more drinks, not in the least as intoxicated as Johanna who had fallen into fits of giggles multiple times.

As she begun to scoff down another shot, I quickly grabbed her wrist, momentary shock forming on her face before it changed into a quirky drunken grin.

"What's wrong Sam? Jealous I can handle my drink?" She quipped in a slurred language, me mentally noting that she became a bitch when she was drunk. I screwed by face into a serious look, hoping it would help to make her realise what she was doing to herself.

"Johanna you need to stop, if you drink anymore you'll collapse." I said forcefully, never dropping the glare. Johanna just snickered, finding my serious face amusing as in her perception, there were two of me.

"Oh look who's getting all worked up. And all because she couldn't save her wittle brother from drowning." She pouted. The words stung, me practically screaming at myself not to cry.

Fredric simply watched the conversation, slyly knowing that no matter how much he drank he couldn't get drunk, perfect for picking up unknowing girls.

Biting the inside of my cheeks, I forced Johanna's wrist to the table, snatching the shot glass out of her hand and dragging her towards the bathroom. She tried to break free from my hold, but I gripped tighter with a determination not to turn around and hit her.

_It's not her talking, it's just the alcohol. _

I repeated to myself, finding the bathroom and pushing her inside. The tiled walls were covered in black graffiti, from sex lines to love hearts, the grubby place bringing back painful memories of a care home.

I let go of her arm, Johanna stumbling as she tried to regain the balance she didn't have. Again giggles escaped her lips, the makeup now smudged from the shot glasses. Raising and dropping her hands by her side, she looked as if nothing wrong had been said.

"Oh come on Sam, I meant nothin' by it, it sorta slipped out." She sighed, the room spinning through her eyes. I couldn't believe her, so hard I tried to keep my voice at a normal level, really wanting to leave soon.

"Nothing by it? You just told a complete stranger about something personal, something devastating to me. That was meant to be _our_ secret, I thought I could trust you." I sounded as if I was about to cry, tear ducts beginning to fill as I could barely look at my best friend.

Her face changed, eyes bulged as she rushed into a toilet cubicle. The sounds of her wrenching made my stomach flip, but I forced myself not to throw up as well.

Before I could go and pull her hair out of the way, two bony hands laced around my shoulders. The shock of the touch jolted my body, making goosebumps appear over my pale skin. Hurriedly I was turned around to face Fredric, a fearful feeling ran through me as there was lust in his eyes.

"You're friend is one hell of a girl, but, I prefer the more innocent type." He whispered into my ear, the fish smell making me jerk away in disgust. He shook me, never faltering his grip on my shoulders.

"Ah, ah, ah...you better play nice, or it will just be worse for you." He threatened with menace, before yanking me into a horrible kiss. He forced his tongue against my teeth, trying to find an opening, I kept them shut as I failed to push him away from me. He quickly removed one hand off my shoulder and yanked at my hair, the pain enough for me to yelp so he could force his tongue down my throat.

It felt unclean as his evil tongue wormed around my mouth, me so tempted to bite down on it with my teeth. Because off his grip on my hair, I knew that would be a bad call, instead I frantically searched for the sinks. When I found them, I willed the water to burst through the pipes, I could feel it spitting up through the pumps, making squeaking noises along the way.

Just as he was about to rip at my top, the water blew a tap clean off and hit him on the forehead. He barked in shock, his grip lessened enough for me to pull away. I stumbled backwards just able to keep my balance as I scurried out of his reach, finding the safety of the wall opposite.

I breathed heavily, still having the twisted taste of his stale breath in my mouth. Fredric had a large bump form on his forehead, his face revealing anger as his eyes glared at me with loathing.

"You're gonna pay for that sweetie." He snarled, but he never got the chance. We were interrupted by a familiar sound of a clicking lighter.

In the doorway, dressed in the same clothes he had worn earlier, was pyromaniac Allerdyce. He leaned against the door, clicking and unclicking the lighter as he looked at Fredric.

_You have no idea how happy I am to see you. _

I thought as I clung to the wall, the cold tiles bringing a small relief that no-one could sneak up on me.

"I was just minding my own business, and then I saw _you_, following two girls into the bathroom...good thing I was suspicious." Even though he used the same arrogant tone, it was easy to tell it was a threat for Fredric to back down, I swore I even heard him gulp at Allerdyce's words.

"Now, I'll let you go without a fuss. But if you do try anything funny, well, I'll just have to burn your ass." He said, clicking the lighter open and letting the flame burn, Fredric stared at it, scrunched his hand into a fist, and then thought better of it. He turned to me, eyes aflame in anger.

"This isn't over sweetie, your boyfriend won't be around to protect you forever." He promised, sneering before pushing past Allerdyce.

When he was out of sight, I breathed a sigh of relief, my legs giving way as I slid downwards to the floor. My whole body shook, feeling dirty from the monster's groping. Allerdyce stormed straight towards me, putting his lighter in his pocket as kneeled to my level.

"You okay?" He asked in a normal tone, seeming to actually care how I felt. I closed my eyes, blocking out Fredric's bug-like eyes.

I simply shook my head as tears streamed down my face, chokes escaping my throat.

Allerdyce sat beside me against the wall, making sure not a single part of him touched me, but his presence was enough to know he was there. He never left my side as the minutes passed, Johanna still barfing up all the alcohol. Luckily he didn't call the police or school, he just waited until I was brave enough to leave the horrible place, helping me drag Johanna's drunken form towards the bus that would take us back to school.

Even then, he didn't leave my side, not saying a single word as he stared out the window. My eyes were red with painful tears, knowing that nightmares of Fredric's roaming hands and Isaac's death would plague me more than usual.

"John." I faintly heard Allerdyce speak, making me turn my head in his direction, confusion sketched onto my features.

"pardon?"

"That's my name, John." He answered slowly, me not totally registering what he was saying.

"I'm Sam." I replied, not really sure what to say. He nodded his head, still never taking his eyes off the fast moving landscape.

"Nice to meet you Sam." He mumbled, never speaking another word.

We remained in silence the whole way, only Johanna's snoring breaking the awkwardness as she slept with her mouth wide open. I knew I wouldn't have the luxury of sleep, not for a few months as Isaac's drowned corpse flashed in front of my eyes.

**_"Sammy, why don't we ever see dad?" _**

**_"Because he's off fighting bad people." _**

**_"What, like a superhero?" _**

**_"Yeah, that's what dad is, he's a superhero."_**

If only it were true...

* * *

**Another chapter done, and a little heroic John thrown in to save Sam...I hope that wasn't too cliche XD. Anyway, please review, and see you soon!**

**~Gothgirlstrikesagain**


	3. Never Read A Book By Its Cover

**And I'm back! Sorry for the pause but I've been ill the past week, tonsillitis is a bitch... **

**Anyway, as I've been ill Ive had a lot of time doing nothing. I watched x men first class and x men origins: wolverine (I enjoyed first class more, mainly because of James mcavoy and Michael fassbender, but i thought all the characters were awesome as well) but I have to say that I thought origins wasn't as bad as people say, okay it wasn't the best and the time line is fucked up but it introduced a lot of cool characters like sabre tooth, deadpool, gambit and not to mention wolverine and how he forgets everything. I'm gonna stop arguing now before someone kills me (Pointing at dad).**

**Tiger mutant ~ you rock! Seriously, I was smiling at your review for ages (hopefully not creepy.) hope you enjoy this but I'll likely go back at change some of it when my brain actually works properly.**

**thanks to tiger mutant and Louise3827 for following the story, it means so much!**

**disclaimer: I only own OCs.**

**with that done, on with the chapter...**

* * *

_I'm a nightmare, a disaster,_

_That's what they always said,_

_I'm a lost cause, not a hero,_

_But I'll make it on my own,_

_I've got to prove them wrong,_

_They'll never bring us down,_

_Simple Plan ~ Me Against The World_

* * *

**"Just_ stay close to me Isaac." I said, gripping my little brother's hand tightly as we entered the freezing lake. The early morning day sent a dazzling spray on the water, the ripples looking like golden bars. The surrounding woodland area held a mixture of different colours as flowers began to literally spring into life. Bluebells covered most of the forest floor, lush grass underrated as it still gave a vibrant shape to the landscape. _**

**_I loved the scene, one of many reasons why I preferred the rural towns rather than urban cities, finding it much more peaceful. The pathway that lead to the lake was a plain dirt track, only Isaac's and my footprints sketched into the dirt as nobody else liked to witness the woodland change all year round, for us it was a chance to escape home and remember how life used to be without technology, just the basic human instincts. _**

**_"I don't want to do it Sammy, I'm too scared." Isaac moaned at me, making every step we took slower. I simply nudged him forward, persistent that his phobia would cured. _**

**_Isaac hated water, a phobia that had formed since Mom accidentally let go of him in the bath when he was a baby, he still had nightmares about it, the vivid memory something that made me believe he was an alien (It seemed childish imagination was something we shared, like two peas in a pod). _**

**_"If we can cure your fear, then Mom won't have to worry about getting scratch marks whenever she puts you in the bath." I said in a fluster as the long walk towards the lake took a good hour of constant walking. _**

**_"You don't want to smell horrible for the rest of your life, do you?" I pressured, not in a cruel way, I wanted the best for him, and if he wasn't careful the bullying would start soon if he didn't have an average number of baths. _**

**_He became quiet as we crept closer to the water, the ice cold liquid sinking into our winter boots. Considering it was spring, winter hadn't totally passed as Isaac and I were suited up in at least four layers of sweltering clothing. Gloves covered our juvenile hands, these layers making it difficult to plough through the water. _**

**_We went slowly, one step at a time as Isaac set the pace. Because they was four years between us (Isaac being six and me being ten) I always needed up having to be the adult, especially when it came down to babysitting him. I pushed the childish jealously out of my head, focused on getting Isaac further into the lake. _**

**_Gradually it got higher, Isaac breathing heavily as we etched closer to the deeper depths of the lake. His sandy hair much like Mom's, though, to be honest I wouldn't know if we resembled dad at all, not remembering him all that much. It pained to lie to him about dad, but I couldn't do much else, never wanting him to know the truth like I did, wanting to keep him innocent for as long as possible._**

**_ "Sammy I can't do it!" He screeched as the lake water rose to his elbows, the water slightly lower for me. He panicked, arms in a frenzy to grab hold of something, this something being my neck. He hooked his arms around the flesh, almost choking me as I tried to pull him free._**

**_ "Isaac calm down, you're gonna drown both of us!" I yelled, my footing suddenly slipping off the solid floor of the lake. My whole body was pushed under as Isaac tried to scramble on top of me, staying out the reach of the murky depths. Unfortunately, the water filled my lungs as I didn't have chance to close my mouth, all the chemicals that were unnamed spilling into my system. _**

**_In frantic strength, I pushed my head above the water, Isaac still hanging off my neck. The lake water sloshed into my eyes as I managed to stay a float, searching for land as my vision blurred from the water. _**

**_"Isaac! I can't...see...stop...panicking!" I ordered, fearful that we might drown and it would be my fault. But he never stopped, his own phobia making him deaf to my words, water still spilling into my mouth. _**

**_Again I was pushed under, heartbeat thumping in my chest and in my eardrums as the strength left me, unable to fight against Isaac's outburst as we sank further under the water...the murky blue being the unmarked grave for both of us..._**

* * *

"I believe that is enough Miss King." Professor X's calming voice spoke, me opening my eyes as his telepathic reading stopped. I felt like a mental patient visiting a shrink; lying down on a long chair as Professor X sat in his wheelchair beside me. However, unlike other shrinks, he didn't have to ask me what was wrong, he just had to read my mind.

"It's all my fault..." I murmured quietly, the nightmares being exactly what Professor X had just witnessed.

He stared at me, empathy sketched over his face as he saw the young (broken) mutant in front of him. He knew there was a story to her the moment he had seen her when using Cerebro, seeing this lonely girl in a foster home in Illinois.

"What's past is past. I am telling you as your mentor and fellow mutant, what happened was out of your control, it was in no way your fault." He spoke forcefully, though the empathy dripped of his words. I nodded my head faintly, knowing I couldn't lie to him.

"Did the accident take place before your mutation?" He asked sensitively, never taking his eyes off mine as I twisted my body into a sitting position.

"If I had just found out earlier, maybe, I could have done _something_ to save him." I sighed, practically despising myself for not discovering my ability sooner. I had found out a month afterwards, flooding the bathroom due to a panic attack.

But Professor X was right, I couldn't have done anything, if I had then I wouldn't be alive to hate myself for not doing anything. That day could have had multiple outcomes, but I would likely have still ended up in care in every one. Mom couldn't handle both of us, what with the rent and trying to work to get money for food; she would have chosen Isaac over me. As far as I knew, he had been normal...perfect even. Never got into trouble, always did well at school, no mutation that made him a freak.

"Events happen for a reason, even tragedies, and here we can help you to understand why it happened. Until then, I suggest go to your lessons to keep yourself busy, and get some rest whenever you can." He suggested with a comforting smile, I tightly smiled back, standing up gently as I began to leave his office.

"Thank you Professor, for finding me." I was truly grateful, the school more like a family than the foster home. He used his wheelchair to turn around and face me, my hand grappling the door handle.

"My pleasure Miss King, you're a model student for the younger years, and I'm sure you have a bright future ahead of you." He answered, me blushing red in embarrassment. I nodded my head in thanks before slipping out the door.

Luckily there was at least an hour before lessons began, giving me enough time to check Johanna wasn't too hung over. She had passed out on her bed, a metal cooking bowl on the floor after she threw up for the sixth time. Even as I stewed on my anger, I made sure she didn't choke on her own vomit, as forgiveness merely crossed my mind. I couldn't exactly blame her, the alcohol was the actual culprit but it didn't change the fact that she used my brother's death against me.

It didn't take long before I got to our dorm, pushing it open and shutting it quietly. Instantly I tiptoed over to Johanna's door and found she wasn't there. Confusion entered my mind until I heard barfing from the bathroom. As predicted, Johanna's face was stuffed in the toilet with her hair in a massive clump. The sight was quite amusing, but I forced myself to keep a straight face as I knocked on the ajar door. She moaned, obviously a headache was bashing against her forehead.

Gingerly she took her head out of the toilet, makeup a complete mess as bags hung darkly under her eyes. Vomit dripped from her bottom lip, me never seeing Johanna in such a terrible state.

"Could you knock a little quieter?" She mumbled, eyes barely staying open. I sighed, walking over and kneeling next to her.

"Do you remember anything?" I inquired, though my suspicions were that she couldn't. Without hesitation she shook her head slowly, rapidly putting it back into the toilet as she vomited again. I gently pulled her black hair out of the way, knowing it was best that she didn't remember, it being our secret that could be forgotten.

"I'll tell our teachers that you're ill, just sleep it off." I ordered, quickly going to pack my bag before my stomach flipped again. Johanna didn't reply, likely because she couldn't.

As my usual routine of packing my bag before actually having a shower or anything, meant I had a little under an hour to do what I wanted. The session with Professor X did indeed help clear my mind for a while, knowing I had someone to talk to if the nightmares became too bad. In truth they were becoming more frequent, being every night so that I had little sleep, making it harder to concentrate in lessons.

"Wonder if Mom's still living there." I pondered, the thought surprising me has I had managed to block her out of my head since I was put into care. She couldn't cope after Isaac's death, like me, she just stopped believing life was worth living.

She never bothered to visit me, so I concluded that I would just forget her, forget that family ever existed but it was hard as you can't truly disown your family. I wouldn't be here without them, same with Dad, I couldn't cut him out of my life because of what he did.

I zipped the bag up, and decided to head for the indoor pool. It didn't take much effort to find my swimsuit, it usually hung up on my bedroom door because I used it so much. As predicted it was there, and I stuffed it into a carrier bag.

"I'll be back later for my bag!" I called to Johanna from the front door, and in return I heard a pained groan. I decided not to annoy her further, sprinting down the corridors towards the swimming pool.

* * *

Sat at the bottom of the pool, cross-legged, I closed my eyes and let the water smother me. My arms lifted on their own accord, guided by the water as I felt weightless. I would have to go up for air soon, being under for about ten minutes. I couldn't stay under for too long if I was stressed or thinking about certain stuff, mainly stuff that made me stressed.

"Shit!" The bad language was muffled by the water clogged in my ears, the voice nearly making me jump out of my skin. Turning my head, I watched as a familiar lighter tumbled to the pool's mosaic floor, the clang never heard.

Pushing my body to move, I swam over to the lighter, quickly grabbing it as I heaved towards to surface. Breaking through the barrier between air and water, I was met with the sight of John gawping at me with a mixture of awe and embarrassment.

He wore a plain grey t-shirt and blue jeans. Clearly he had only just woken up as his hair stuck up at all ends, not the usual combed back look. I held the lighter above the water, the relief on his face almost made me giggle as he cared so much about it, still, as he can manipulate fire it's no surprise his zippo is important to him.

"Believe you dropped this." I said sarcastically, gripping the ledge of the pool as I held my arm higher for him to take the lighter. After some thought, he knelt down and grabbed it, proceeding to sit down with his knees up.

We watched as water poured out of it as he turned it upside down, and I could see he was practically begging for it to still work. I had no words of wisdom, never even owning a lighter let alone knowing how to fix one.

"It should dry out in a couple of days, that's if the water hasn't mixed with the fuel, fuck." He cursed, talking more to himself than me. I rolled my eyes, expecting no less from a guy like him, swearing whenever anything goes wrong.

He put the lighter in his jeans pocket, awkwardness in the air as I had caught him spying on me (part of his own undoing). To tell the truth it was unnerving knowing he had been watching me, but that could be due to last night and the monster Fredric. I physically shuddered at the memory, the water surrounding me rippling with the sudden movement.

"Thanks, for saving me last night. I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't turned up." I thanked to break the ice, questions popping into my head: why had he been at the bar? Why did he follow Fredric in the first place? Why did he tell me his name? There were too many and they had sprung up all at once.

John simply shrugged his shoulders as of it were nothing, making the point to not look me directly in the eye, staring at his knees or at the still water.

"I know what that asshole is like, so I knew what his motives were, and didn't want him getting the satisfaction of scaring you." He explained, though I could tell it was only partially true, but I didn't press on it.

"Thanks anyway, though, why are you here?" It was a pretty forward question, and again I could see he didn't want to play twenty questions with me in a swimming pool by his feet.

"You were in a state last night, so I just wanted to check you were okay, and all it earned me was a water logged lighter." He grumbled, all the heroic stuff just a ruse probably, maybe he wanted to show off his abilities rather than actually help me.

He dragged one of his hands through his messy hair, yawning loudly as he did so, probably never being up so early in his life. Seeing as I grew up in the country, I'm used to being an early bird, having to do all the chores before breakfast.

"No need to ask what you can do then." He mumbled after his yawn, motioning a waving hand to the water. He took my silence as a chance to rub his eyes, a mischievous idea popping into my head.

He yelped as he was sprayed with freezing water, falling backwards as I smiled at his surprise. I don't why I did it, I guess it was the timing of it that made me think it had to be done. John looked wide awake now, so technically I had done him a favour.

"What was that for?" He exclaimed, wiping away the water with his hands. I shrugged my shoulders, beginning to feel warmer as the morning drew sunnier.

"For nearly breaking my neck when you tripped me up yesterday." I countered straight away, knowing payback was a bitch.

John opened his mouth to say something, then found he couldn't reply as he knew I was right. He hadn't met anyone like me, no-one could actually tolerate his quick tongue for more than a couple of hours, and he hadn't made the best first impression either.

He had heard someone talk about this bar where all the older kids went, and quickly decided to see if it was worth his time as he had nothing better to do. But of course the pervert Freddie had to be an asshole and harass the girls.

Honestly he wouldn't have gave a damn if it was anyone else, but he found that he couldn't have live with himself knowing he had let her suffer. Trouble was, Freddie was bound to find her again as he went to Xavier's school too, and he couldn't guarantee he would back off forever.

"I'll give you that one for free, seeing as I deserved it. Neat trick by the way." He added, water dripping off his hair and onto the floor. I let him off, not actually caring about the whole tripping me up thing, just wanting to make it clear that he couldn't be a jerk around me and get away with it.

"It'd be a lot cooler if I could magic water out of thin air, but, I can only manipulate water if its already there." I explained, though John seemed to empathise in his own special way.

"Same with me, I can only control a flame that already exists, which is why I always have a lighter on me." He replied with actual enthusiasm at discussing his abilities. It seemed the awkwardness had gone, which surprised me, seeing as I'd only talked to him yesterday and with my paranoia it made it difficult to open up to people.

"That's at least one thing we have in common, though people do say opposites attract." I mumbled, silently regretting that I had added the last bit. John raised an eyebrow playfully, to which I countered with an eye roll.

"So you find me attractive then?" He inquired, purposefully making me feel uncomfortable.

"Shut up, unless you want a bucketful of water next time." I threatened, and his eyebrow dropped back to normal, though he still had that playful gleam in his eyes.

"You said it not me, and I don't believe in all that opposites attract crap, its a hoax." He argued as to change the subject, slightly annoyed by my threat.

That was another thing I had to agree with, all the finding your soulmate stuff was a fairy tale thought up to make the world seem magical when in reality it's luck that keeps the Earth spinning. I didn't admit our common agreement though, not wanting another eyebrow raise from John.

"I need to get ready before lessons start, I'll see you around probably." Luckily John took the hint and stood up, giving me space to jump out of the pool without stray water splashing onto him. He didn't move from his spot in front of me like I expected him to, I assumed he was going to walk away without saying anything. But no, John stood still as we tried to avoid eye contact.

_Why does this seem so cliche? _

I moaned like a teenager, the awkward feeling engulfing us again.

"We've got combat for first lesson, you know who the teacher is right?" John asked with an obvious fear. The truth was I did know, and the guy scared the hell out of me. I nodded my head with grimace, John sharing this as he tried not to look down, even mutants could be hormonal perverts.

I guess I never knew he was in my class, maybe it was about time I started to pay more attention to the people around me, after all, we could be fighting together like the X-men.

"I'll see you then, I hope nobody pisses him off, really don't want to run twenty laps around the school." I sighed, remembering the last time someone annoyed _he who must not be named unless you want your ass kicked_, thinking about it, it could have been John...

"See ya, and if my zippo is broken, you're paying for a new one." Before I could even object, John had already sprinted down the corridor and out of sight. I exasperated, after all _he_ was the one that had dropped it.

_I'll argue with him later..._

I sighed as I headed towards the showers for a quick wash down. Though it was pointless as combat would make us all sweat, The Wolverine really fitting to his name, never giving any of us a break.

* * *

Why did he have to add that last bit? Of all the things he could've said, he had to be a jerk.

John resulted to kicking a trash can in anger, these sudden explosions of anger something he couldn't control. That was a reason of many as to why his parents had abandoned him, not just his mutation, but the anger issues that honestly were because of them in the first place.

He tried to divulge his brain away from them, not giving them the time of day, unlike this new girl Sam. He hadn't planned on spying on her, it was just a coincidence that she would have walked past his dorm when Bobby had pissed him off with his snoring.

Bobby, his roommate, he swore could wake the whole school if the walls weren't soundproof, actually, he didn't even know if they were soundproof. Course he could complain about his loudness to himself, it wouldn't change anything, and if he did say anything he would loose the only friend he had. Bobby had only been at the school for a couple of weeks and already he was making quite an impression, being the _iceman_ and all.

John picked his pace up a little after hearing an angered grunt from the nearby rooms, his outburst causing a loud hindrance to some students. He wasn't scared of them, no way, he just didn't want to pick a fight in the early morning, especially as it could be Piotr's room, and the big guy wasn't nicknamed Colossus for nothing.

As John got closer to his dorm, he pondered how recent events had gone, and how he ended up knowing the new girl was a water manipulator and he had a fucked up lighter. He should've guessed at the bar, witnessing her tap attack on Freddie, though originally he had thought it was metal or something.

The way she just sat under the water for so long, reminded him of those old myths about sirens, how they lured men with their beautiful songs and dragged them under the water to drown.

_Since when do I pay attention in history?_

He questioned his own in take of the lessons, barely scraping through any tests as he thought they were a waste of time. No college or university would accept him, not after he would burn part of it, or they found out about his mutation in another way.

Normal schools didn't like their students being abnormal, which was why Xavier's institute was so important, because it was a place where mutants wouldn't be judged. However, he struggled to keep out of trouble for more than a couple of days, and he couldn't really fit in with people anyway. Only Bobby could tolerate him, and somehow Sam did as well, though he would ruin it like he would ruin his and Bobby's friendship.

He was a troublemaker that destroyed anything he touched, that was the painful truth that had been carved into his head by his parents.

"Fuck this, if I ruin it I ruin it, might as well take the chance and actually try to have some friends." He told himself as he entered his dorm, concluding that he would talk to Sam some more, find out what else they shared in common. Maybe not in lessons as he was usually late, but the canteen was always a good place where people could talk.

"John, what are you doing up so early?" Bobby looked worse than John did, his blonde hair a complete mess with bags under his eyes. John closed the door and faked a long yawn.

"Thought I heard someone knocking on the door, no-one was there, must be some pranksters." He mumbled, Bobby falling for his lie. He nodded his head before heading back into his room, leaving John with absolutely nothing to do.

In an old habit, he stuffed his hands into his pockets and felt a hand snake around a metal object. He pulled the damp lighter out, staring at it with a sigh.

"At least it gives me something to do." He grumbled, sitting down on the couch as he tinkered with the lighter mechanics. This would take a _long_ time.

* * *

**That's all for now, I'll write some more when I'm feeling a bit better. Until then, please review, really helps morale and everything...**

**~gothgirlstrikesagain **


	4. Wolverine Sucks

**I've decided to upload every weekend, so expect an update either on Saturday or Sunday, likely Sunday as I have more time after doing schoolwork. **

**Wow, already the fourth chapter. Didn't I think I'd get this far so quickly, the story just writes itself until mindblock sets in, which happens to me a lot.**

**I really am getting addicted to this song, I think it fits Sam quite well so go and check it out.**

**disclaimer: I only own OCs.**

**with that done, on with the chapter...**

* * *

_You're falling, you're screaming,_

_You're stuck in the same old nightmare,_

_He's lying, you're crying,_

_There's nothing left to salvage,_

_Kick the door 'cause this is over,_

_Get me out of here,_

_Simple Plan ~ No love_

* * *

My whole body ached, as predicted Logan had made all of us do five laps around school. Only me, Jubilation lee (though everyone calls her jubilee), Mirage and John were left to finish. I was ahead of everyone except John, but to be honest I reckon he could beat us easily, he just couldn't care about the lesson at all.

Unfortunately for us, the day was a sweltering hot one, the dirt pathways surrounding school exceedingly warm as heat bounced off them. None of us could be bothered to explain the heat in science, just wanting to finish the final lap in time so Logan didn't make us do it again.

As teachers go, he was probably the strictest but that was because he was a grumpy old sod, though I'm not brave enough to say it to his face. None of us are, not even the bigger guys like Piotr.

I kept a decent pace, right on John's heels as we rounded the final corner before the tennis courts. I could feel sweat collecting on my chest and under my armpits, not very lady like but the blazing sun made it impossible not to be sweating. It was even worse for me as I desperately wanted to jump head first back into the swimming pool.

As we twisted around the tennis courts and into the back yard, me and John were jogging side by side. It wasn't exactly a competition, but I could tell John didn't want to be beaten by me, and so picked up the pace. He was breathing heavily but not so much that he sounded completely out of breath, while I wanted to pass out there and then. I didn't let him have the satisfaction of winning without a fight, jogging faster to catch up with him again as the end was in sight.

Everyone half Heartedly clapped us stragglers on, Logan stood away from the students, the same bored expression he wore every lesson with a cigar at the side of his mouth.

Fair enough, John just made it before me as he leaned over to place his hands on his knees. I did the same as I caught my breath back, taking in deep breaths of warm oxygen. Mirage and Jubilee caught up a few minutes later looking really pissed off and tired.

"We could really use that trick of yours right now." John commented in-between gasps, mentioning my prank from this morning, and I honestly agreed with him.

"I would if there was any water, it's too hot." I answered back, legs shaking in exhaustion. I'd happily shower everyone in cooling water, but, I've never actually tried manipulating a large amount before, only small bucket sized ones and even they could be unpredictable if I wasn't ready.

We didn't get long to rest as Logan strode towards all of us, puffing on his cigar. His attire of white tank top and combat trousers were a common sight in lessons, same with his _I don't give a shit whether you die in this lesson or not_ look, so none of us expected him to go easy on us after the running.

"Quiet, we're gonna do some verses practice. Oi big guy, come here." He motioned for Piotr, who stepped forward without hesitation, him having the most rest as he had finished first. He stood in front of Logan, towering above him though he wasn't phased by his height. Within a flash Piotr was flipped onto his back, the ground shaking like an earthquake as he connected with the mowed ground. Logan merely puffed on his cigar, staring down at Piotr's damaged form, the ground physically cracking from the impact.

"Pick a partner and start practising amongst yourselves, any slackers will do another five laps." He barked, all of us rushing in a frantic mob to find partners.

I got paired up with Jubilee as Johanna was still sleeping off the hang over. She was extremely hyperactive and floored me within the first few minutes. Luckily I wasn't the only one getting thrown onto the ground, John was paired with someone I hadn't seen before, possibly the new kid but it was hard to tell. Considering he was pretty weak looking, he had no trouble flipping John onto the ground. Piotr quickly regained his dignity by pinning Danny Jordan to the floor every time, Danny's only ability being that he could make himself invisible, which was pointless in this lesson.

Again Jubilee pulverised me, the sight of the blue sky a common one as the lesson carried on.

* * *

I took a bite of the green apple in my hand, the juiciness helping me become unstressed. The canteen was alive with chatter as everyone got their lunch before the next lessons started, everyone starving as their brains turned to mush.

I sat glumly at my usual seat by the window, staring out onto the courtyard where many students practiced their own unique abilities, but nobody was out there today. Johanna wouldn't be turning up, either because she was asleep or because the food would make her nauseous, so again I was left alone as I never spoke to anyone else unless it was necessary.

The combat lesson wasn't really exciting, Logan showed us some new techniques by using Piotr as his guinea pig, luckily he could take it. We had geometry afterwards with Professor Summers, a complete waste of time as I didn't understand a word of it.

So my day hadn't gone too well, and it wasn't looking up as I had science, mutant ethics and history for the rest of the day. I savoured the time in the canteen, it was somewhere that meant I wasn't a hermit but also helped clear my head before the next lot of lessons.

Finishing the apple, I discarded it in a nearby bin, gulping down a bottle of water as I felt dehydrated.

"Room for one more?" I looked up for the source of the voice, and found John with an apple in his hand. He threw it up into the air and caught it again, a little game he played while waiting for my answer.

"It's a free country." I countered, John taking the chair opposite me. I could tell he had something to say about my comment, maybe something on how it wasn't for mutants, but he never spoke it aloud.

I resumed my gaze out the window, so glad to not be outside in the sweltering heat as the temperature rose with each passing hour.

"Where did Professor X find you?" John's question caught me off-guard, slightly suspicious of his motives behind it.

"Why do you ask?"

"Think of it as a two way thing, I ask you question and you answer it, you get to ask me one. It's fair right? We get to learn more about each other if we put pressure on one another." He explained, which didn't make me feel any better about asking his questions. Admittedly it was something to pass the time, and I was curious to know more about him.

John leaned back in his chair, his trusty lighter in hand as he flicked it open and studied the flame. So he had managed to get it working, he must really know his mechanics if he fixed it that quickly, or he just knows his lighters.

_ Screw it, he can judge me all he wants, it won't make me feel any worse than what I already do._

"I was in a foster home in Illinois, I'd been there since I was eleven." I said, staring at my fingers on the table as they coiled and uncoiled due to the uncomfortable nature that surrounded the foster home. It wasn't hell on Earth, but I'd rather not go into detail about it.

John didn't seem shocked by the news, nor did he show sympathy, so I decided to ask my own question.

"What about you, where did he find you?"

It was only fair that I asked him the same question, right?

He shut the lighter suddenly, an obvious annoyance at the question.

"Hey, you're the one that said you have to answer the questions to get a question." I said before he could say anything, and it was quite humorous at watching him hold his tongue.

"I never said you _had_ to answer the questions, and I'm not going to answer that one." He snarled rather viciously, sending me aback at his mood swing. I guess this was why Johanna called him a jerk, and I was beginning to see why.

"Look John, I could've chosen not to answer your question. The least you can do is answer mine." I said in a raised voice, quickly regretting it as other students turned their heads in our direction before getting back to their lunch.

"Fine, just ask me a different one."

"No, that's not fair, it has to be the same question as before."

"Then I'm not answering."

"Then you've broken your own rules."

"Holy fuck, how stubborn are you?"

The words stung, and I'm pretty sure John knew it. I forced down any stray language that originally I wanted to say, and glared at him with blazing eyes. Today really wasn't the best day to piss me off, not with the nightmares, Fredric from yesterday still haunting me, and Logan's so called combat skills.

"Not meaning to be rude, but I've actually not trusted many people knowing I went into care. At least you could try be as trustworthy to me as I am to you right now, or there is no point in these stupid questions because I won't be answering anymore until you do." I threatened, silently praying that it wasn't my time of the month, not needing something else on my plate.

John remained silent, internally seething at my stubbornness as he opened the lighter again, switching the flame on in a dazzling but terrifying manor.

"My parents abandoned me, the Professor found me, that's all you need to know." He finally replied, slowly breaking away pieces of the awkward wall between us. I showed empathy, knowing what abandonment feels like, and I was grateful for him opening up for once. He radically changed the subject, back to his normal self as he stared at the flame from his lighter. He stewed on many questions, but found only one sprung into his mind as he stared at the flickering shades of orange.

"So do you find me attractive? You never actually answered it before." He asked, closing the lighter. I couldn't tell whether he was playing with me or asking honestly, but either way it made me shift in my seat.

I didn't want to say something that would put him down, but I didn't want him getting the wrong impression either. This is why I hate relationships, shit like this!

"Well, um, yeah. There are a lot uglier guys around, and most of them are assholes to go with it. Honestly, I'd say you're one of the most attractive guys I know." Maybe I shouldn't have added the last bit, as his smirk grew larger as his eyes gleamed. He was playing as usual, but I couldn't help but think he was taking this as a hint that I liked him.

I wouldn't mind calling him a friend, only really knowing Johanna and a guy friend would help with knowing what stuff they liked. But other than that, I couldn't say anything romantically, too much hassle and I didn't want to hurt him by cutting him out when the nightmares got too bad.

He seemed satisfied by the answer, and continued with his lighter, a habit that looked more like an obsession as he became hypnotised by the flame.

I pushed the water bottle in a little circle on the table, my other hand a rest for my head as I thought up more questions. There were so many that I wanted to ask, but because of his little tantrum most of them seemed too personal.

"Do you like comics?" I asked after the silence grew deafening. John raised a curious eyebrow, his brown eyes staring at me as if I had grown three heads.

"I'm not a hardcore fanboy, but I read the batman comics from time to time." He answered with an obvious interest as to why I asked, I nodded my head, it was a good choice after all.

"I used to love reading them when I was a kid. My dad had some of the vintage Captain America ones too, though we weren't allowed to read them as they were too old." I added absentmindedly, the only good memory I had of dad was him lecturing me on why I wasn't supposed to open the sealed packages. Actually, that could have been the only memory.

"We? You have siblings?" John picked up on my mistake straight away, making me stare at the bottled water, picturing the murky water of the lake on that early spring morning.

"I _had_ a brother, he died." I forced normality into my tone, unable to look up from the table in case tears tried to escape.

"What happened to him?"

_You're asking too many questions John._

I wanted to say it out loud, but decided to give him an invasive answer.

"It was just an unfortunate accident, that's all you need to know." It was barely above a whisper, but John caught the sarcastic tone to it from when he hadn't answered completely. He stared at me, knowing the bell for lessons would go soon.

He rolled the apple across the table, me slamming a hand onto it before it rolled off the edge. I looked up to see him smiling, not a grin, just a tight smile that could go unnoticed.

"I didn't want it anyway. If you don't have anyone to sit with in the canteen, me and my roommate always have a spare seat." John stood up as soon as the bell went, turning to me one final time with his lighter still blazing with the orange flame.

"Sorry about your brother." He said hastily before heading off as students began to pile up around the exits. When he had gone, I picked up the apple and stared at it. It was the same green one as mine, only slightly larger and looked at lot more appetising. I placed it in my bag for later, not wanting to waste food as I had always been taught.

"Science here I come." I said with little interest, pulling my bag over one shoulder. A hand wrapped around my waist, spinning me around to face the culprit. To my horror, Fredric with his bug eyes grinned maliciously at me.

"Thought I'd catch up with you sooner or later, what are the odds." He faked surprise, gripping the flesh of my waist tighter as I tried to break free.

"Get off me creep!" I shouted at him, the insult never spilling off my tongue before.

"There is a fire to you then, no wonder flame boy took an interest in you. I've always loved a bit of competition, well, ones I win." He whispered into my ear, the fish smell still on his stale breath.

I wanted to puke, why did we go to that damn bar?

The mark on his forehead from last night was a deep purple, and it looked painful.

_Good, the creep deserves it. _

"I'm sure we'll be seeing more of each other, see you around sweetie." He tried to kiss me, so I took the chance and lifted by knee swiftly. He groaned in pain and with his grip on my waist weakened, I slipped out of his hold and ran down the corridors.

I didn't stop until I reached science, no sign of John so I assumed he was skipping the lesson. As soon as I stepped inside, I saw everyone else had turned up on time except me. The whole class stared at be judgementally, some even whispering _busted_ amongst themselves.

"Miss King, as this is the first time you've been late to my lesson, there won't be any punishments. However, you will have to sit at the front where I can keep an eye on you." Dr McCoy's voice held disappointment rather than anger, mainly because he thought I was a model student and liked his classes, I just didn't do anything wrong.

"Yes sir." I grumbled, taking the seat at the far corner of the front row, seeing a boy I hadn't seen before. His blonde hair and blue eyes made him look handsome, and his face did look kind.

I sat down and quickly pulled my textbooks out, instantly having a ball of paper thrown at my head. I turned around and found it had been thrown by Danny, he wasn't giggling though as I had expected, instead his face resembled something of a silent warning. Angrily, I opened the textbooks and tried to ignore him.

"Hi, I'm Bobby." The mysterious boy said, a kind smile on his face. Ah, so this was Bobby, the kid with the ability to create ice.

"I'm Sam." I greeted, looking up briefly before returning to gathering everything I needed for the lesson.

* * *

He felt torn, she had answered his questions even when they were personal to her, but he couldn't comply in doing the same. John pondered as he sat in a small crevice that gave a view of New York City. The little hideout he had found within his first year, finding the tranquility he needed away from his classmates.

It was hidden enough so teachers couldn't see him, but meant that if he had to rush inside then it wasn't too difficult. True, his clothes became dusty as the crater-like hole was showered in eroded Earth. He liked the spot, it meant he was shaded from the sun's killer rays and there was no chance he was going to be bothered by anyone.

John studied the lighter intently, the metal glimmering in the sunshine. He couldn't even contemplate what he would do without it, he'd likely go insane, the lighter a constant reminder of what he could and that was the realisation he needed to remember.

He wasn't normal, and honestly he was glad. Humans treated mutants like monsters, fearful of what they didn't understand, and that made them a danger, especially to the newly enlightened mutants out in the world. It angered him how they weren't allowed to show what they could do, hell, if they focused on their abilities more than stupid lessons, they would be strong enough to fight against the hate. But no, Professor X didn't encourage violence in their abilities, in fact he would likely punish it.

John flinched as he heard footsteps pass by, though he couldn't see anyone. Looking at the pathway, he saw that footprints were forming in the dirt, but there was no _visible_ owner. John knew that it could only be one person.

He silently exited his hideout, and stalked the invisible person until they were far away from his hidden lair.

"Danny boy!" John shouted, a cry of shock heard as Danny turned visible. He had tripped over his own feet, lying flat on the floor as he grumbled angrily at John. Danny's dignity seemed to be at a low, his pure white hair littered with specks of dirt, pale skin complexion making him look like an actual ghost. Everyone thought his mutation made him look that way, though he never confirmed it.

"What the fuck? Damn it John, if the teachers catch us I'm blaming everything on you!" He threatened, pulling himself to his feet, brushing off stray dust. John just found it amusing, snickering behind a fist as he watched Danny glare daggers at him.

"Oh lighten up, it was a perfect opportunity and I wasn't going to waste it." John tried to redeem himself, though Danny still seemed pretty pissed.

"Where did you even come from? I swear I would have seen you." He questioned warily, thinking he knew every secret on the school ground. John tapped his nose which angered Danny further.

"That's for me to know, and you to never find out."

"You're an asshole."

"I've been called worse." John countered, still finding the situation hilarious. "What are you doing skipping class anyway, trying to steal my thunder?" He asked with his usual humour. Danny sighed, letting John off with his little prank, but it nearly gave him a heart attack.

"There's no way I'm sitting through an entire lesson of McCoy going on about fucking gas particles, I'd rather hang myself. That new girl, the water one, she's taking some tips of you. Was late for the lesson, first time as well, though it could've been because of Creepy Freddie."

John's ears pricked up, hearing the person he despised. Danny cursed under his breath, knowing he had said too much.

"What has the creep done now?" John asked suspiciously, deciding it was best to keep up with the gossip that hung around Freddie.

"Look you didn't hear it from me, but he's determined to finish what he started or that's what he said. John don't give me that look! I don't want anything to do with it but he's blackmailing me, he says if I don't spy on her he'll..." Danny abruptly stopped, John shaking his head judgementally.

"Danny boy...didn't know you had it in you." He tsked dramatically, Danny's cheeks flaring up in embarrassment, the pale red looking unnatural on his face.

"Hey, if you could turn invisible you'd do it too. I'm pretty sure that's every guys dream, it'd make spying on girls so much easier." He argued, but John still didn't let it slide, never knowing Danny could be such a pervert.

"No I wouldn't, because I'm not sexually frustration like you." John quipped, Danny unable to counter it as he was speechless. At this, John took a step towards Danny and made his best intimidating face, Danny in turn taking a step back.

"Stop spying on her, Freddie maybe blackmailing you, but you don't wanna know what happens when you cross me." He dared, eyes blazing with fury. It was all an act, he wasn't really angry and he honestly wouldn't do anything to the skittish boy, but Danny didn't know that. He shrunk away, hands held up defensively as the sun rained down on both of them.

"Okay, okay. Jesus, I didn't want to do it anyway so you've done me a favour. Freddie's not gonna like it though, he may seem weak but he's got a temper to him." Danny warned, but John just shrugged it off.

"So have I, and he knows better than to cross me, I've got iceman on my side as well." John added, though it wasn't needed as he thought he could take care of the creep by himself, and knowing Bobby he wouldn't want in on the confrontation.

Danny nodded his head, though he wasn't so sure that John could win, Freddie had a few tricks up his sleeves. They heard the bell go for fourth lesson, and it wouldn't take long for people to notice they were outside.

"I'm gonna head to lesson, just, don't tell anyone what I told you, I've had enough swirlies this week." Danny grimaced, the old fashioned prank of stuffing someone's head in a flushed toilet never got old, and it still applied in a school for mutants.

"Me too, mutant ethics with Professor X is such a joy." He said sarcastically, yawning for empathises as he just wanted to curl up in his bed and sleep for a year. However, he knew better than to be late for Professor X, and sped walked back inside with Danny chasing behind him. It didn't take long for the sport freak to pass him by, making the point of _accidentally_ bumping into his shoulder.

John hated running with a passion, and he was honestly sick of it from first lesson. So he went by his own pace and got to the lesson still on time.

He took a chair at the back of the room by the window, finding that Sam was sat in front of him. She didn't notice him sit down, so he pretended that he never saw her and daydreamed as Professor X's voice became mumbled, it was something on "how do we distinguish whether a mutation is a danger or useless?"

_According to everyone else, **I'm** just a danger..._

He grumbled to himself, only looking up to see that Sam was listening intently. She really was a star student, maybe him being around would change that...

* * *

**So much speech! Sorry for the overload of that, but mindblock kinda took over for a bit, I plan on uploading on Sunday but I might just skip to next week instead, tell me if you'd like to see a new one on sunday.**

**thats all for now,**

**~ gothgirlstrikesagain**


	5. Daddy Doctor

**I know I've uploaded this a day early but I'm really busy tomorrow and Sunday I've got loads of homework.**

**mind block struck again so this is a bit shorter, I'm unsure where to go from here so I'll be thinking up ideas for the next week.**

**DISCLAIMER: you know this...**

**with that done, on with the chapter...**

* * *

_Because of you, _

_I never stray too far from the sidewalk,_

_Because of you,_

_I learned to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt,_

_Because of you,_

_I find it hard to trust not only me, but everyone around me,_

_Because of you,_

_I am afraid,_

_Kelly Clarkson ~ Because of you_

* * *

**_I was awoken by the sound of a heated argument, tiredness staining my features as the constant night arguments brought little sleep. They were always the same, and neither could find a compromise which was beginning to scare me._**

_ What if they divorce, what if I never see one of them again?_

_**These terrifying questions swam through my head in a chaotic frenzy, ceasing to stop as I heard Dad's voice bellow in anger. His deep tone rocked the whole house, like an earthquake as I tried to shut my eyes and block it out, pulling the duvet over my head. I turned over into different positions multiple times, but the roars were too loud, and worry that it might turn physical made me shudder. **_

_**A crash of what sounded like glass jolted me awake, sitting up as I stared at the closed bedroom door leading towards the hall. A small carpet of light just about peaked from under the door, but it brought little relief as the roars turned into shrieks. **_

_**Hesitantly, I climbed out of bed, bare feet freezing on the wood panelled flooring. I crept towards the door, wanting to do anything to make the fighting stop. My childish mind believed that my presence might make them stop, not wanting their **innocent** daughter seeing such violence. **_

_**Tiptoeing along the hall, I came to the staircase which overlooked the front door. I became scared, deciding to just wait, sitting on the floor with my legs dangling through the gaps between the banisters. **_

_**"You can't just fucking leave us! What about Samantha, what about the baby?" I heard my mother's voice screech, but it didn't sound right, it sounded deranged.**_

_**"I'm doing this to protect them and you, mutants are dangerous and if we don't find some way of stopping them, then they'll destroy everything we hold dear! This cure, it will take away their powers, it will make us safe." My father replied in an almost calm tone, trying desperately to make Mom see sense. His words meant nothing to me, never hearing these two contexts in one sentence. **_

_Mutants? Cure?_

_** It was like something from a comic, one of the villains essentially becoming a villain because of a lab accident or something. There were rumours going around town about mutants, though it all congregated around the major cities like New York, and those big places terrified me, it wasn't right having so many people living that close together. Either way, talk gradually got passed around, I learnt most of it from school as some had family in the big cities, but whatever talk it was it was never good. **_

_**I heard another crash, shocking me so much that I caught my leg on the banister as I tried to shift out of it, screaming in agony as bitter pain pulsed in my foot, almost twisting it enough as to cause a fracture. **_

_**The raised voices stopped, rushing feet quickly following my voice. My Mom was the first to appear, her large bump growing more everyday. She looked as deranged as she had sounded, hair a mess when it was usually tied in a bun. Her eyes, they were bloodshot and bulging as the pupils nearly covered the whole iris, making her look demonic like the things I heard in church.**_

_** "Sweetheart, what...what are you doing up?" She was trying to force normality into her tone, but it was complete melancholy. I held back tears as the pain in my foot grew worse, and I refused to tell them, I just wanted to climb back into bed and forget everything I had heard. **_

_**"I...I had a nightmare." I whispered, and instantly Mom became less tense. She quickly climbed up the stairs and helped me to my feet. Considering she wasn't supposed to bend over (as Dad and the midwife had told me), she was still the same strong Mom that could drag me along the floor if she wanted to. **_

_**I yelped, the pain in my foot sending an electric shock through my leg. I couldn't even stand on it, having to fall into Mom's arm as my balance failed. Tears crept out my eyes, Mom having to stroke my hair to keep me calm.**_

_** "Shush, it's okay, tell me what happened?" That was normal Mom, her soothing voice that kept the monsters away. **_

_**"My foot got caught in the banisters." I choked, tears freely falling down my face. Again she shushed me, slowly rocking from side to side in a calming motion. Her large bump meant I couldn't hold her too tightly, having to put my body into an aching angle.**_

_** "We'll go downstairs and put some ice on it. I think we might need some help from Daddy." The added sentence held a warning that my juvenile hearing couldn't hear, but my dad heard it, and he knew better than to cross Mom at that point. **_

_**He slowly moved into view, his black hair similar to mine only it was short shaven on his head. He was still wearing his work clothes of doctoral style, his scrubs coming all the way from the nearby city, the four hour journey meaning I hardly saw him. He smiled warmly at me, me sharing this smile from Mom's protective cocoon. **_

_**He thought the world of me, and of my new brother, though I didn't understand how he could be in Mom's tummy, I thought storks brought them in blankets. **_

_**"Good thing there's a doctor in the house." He quipped, the joke not all funny but it still made me giggle. This was what I wanted, them to stop arguing, it was annoying that I had to get injured to cause the minor truce. **_

_**They didn't make eye contact, which was likely for the best as I let go of Mom. Dad hoisted me into his arms in a bridal style seen in weddings, extra careful that he didn't bash my foot onto the wall as he stumbled down the stairs.**_

_** "You're getting too heavy, or I'm getting too old." He grunted, reaching the final step before carrying me into the lit up kitchen. He placed me on a countertop, giving me a full view of the damage.**_

_** Plates and glasses littered the floor, broken into millions of pieces that I wondered how he could of not had one stick into his shoes. Mom watched from the kitchen door, pulling frantically at her sleeves as she watched Dad clean up with darting eyes.**_

_** Once all the glass was put in the trash, he grabbed a pack of peas from the freezer, the cooling temperature perfect for the stuffy August night. Carefully, he wrapped a tea towel around the packet and placed it over my foot. **_

_**Bending forward, I slipped my hands onto the packet so he could let go. I noticed for the first time that he couldn't physically look at me, his eyes focused on my injured foot as he stayed in the crouch position.**_

_** "You should get some rest, don't want to stress out junior." Dad mumbled, Mom about to argue before going against it. She kissed me on the forehead and said goodnight, swiftly turning around to head upstairs to bed. **_

_**At this point Dad stood up, walking over to his stash of alcohol (of course I had **no** idea of where it was). As he did this, I gently hoisted my foot over my other leg, so my back wouldn't ache with all the bending over. **_

_**"So, what was the nightmare 'bout?" He asked over his shoulder, pouring a glass of whiskey for himself. **_

_Please don't get drunk, not now._

_** I silently pleaded, I didn't want a round two happening.**_

_** "About the doll, from that creepy film." I grumbled, knowing I would be getting a lecture. I heard him chuckle quietly, though I didn't find it so amusing.**_

_** "It serves you right, I told you not to go through my video collection. What were you thinking? It clearly says its too old for ya, hell I thought the cover looked scary enough for you not to go near it." He ranted, making me crease my eyebrows. **_

_How was I to know Chucky was a horror? Okay it looked a bit weird but I thought it was some kids thing, like those dolls that teach you numbers and stuff._

_** I argued mentally, but I knew deep down I shouldn't have put it on, because I was now paying the price. The nightmares were horrible, Chucky kept chasing me in this old building, brandishing his knife at me and trying to stab me...not a normal four year old nightmare.**_

_** "It's my fault, I should've put them out of your reach." He mumbled to himself, gulping down the whiskey in one gulp. I held my breath, thinking he was going to have another, and another. Luckily he put the bottle away, and proceeded to sit at the round table in the centre of the kitchen. **__**It was quite large, you could move around the medium sized table without bumping into it, but it was difficult manuevering if we were all in the room.**_

_** Gradually the pain in my foot ceased, replaced with icy cold stings from the bag placed over it. I removed it, finding that ice dripped from the corners. Carefully I nudged my body off the counter and onto the floor, hopping with one foot as the other still felt quite painful. Limply I put the bag back into the freezer and took the seat opposite Dad. **_

_**We sat in silence for a few moments, Dad's eyes focused on the table as a hairy hand rubbed his short shaven beard. He was pondering, on what was impossible to know as there was so much he did know. **_

_**"Daddy, are you leaving again?" I asked in a hushed whisper, praying he wouldn't say yes. He focused on me, sighing depressively as there would only ever be one answer. **_

_**"Yes baby girl, but you know why I've gotta go." He answered, me nodding my head sadly.**_

_** "You need to go because you have to help good people get better. But why do you have to go to the city, why can't you help good people in a closer town?" I moaned, just wanting to keep Dad close instead of him gone for months on end. **_

_**He smiled, ushering me to sit on his lap. I complied, jumping onto his lap and wrapping my arms around his neck in a hug, him giving me a bear hug in return. **_

_**"No matter how far I go, or how long I'm gone...never ever doubt that I won't come back. You're stuck with me kiddo, and me and you're mama love you, never doubt that either." He told me in a serious tone, before standing up with a groan.**_

_** I giggled as I was still hung around his neck, his arms still around my waist as he walked slowly towards the stairs. **_

_**"I love you Daddy." I said as he tucked me into bed. He kissed my forehead, the bristles tickling my nose.**_

_** "Love you too baby girl." He countered, tiptoeing out of the room as I fell asleep, never hearing the continued argument between Mom and Dad.**_

* * *

I sat up in a sweat, realising that I wasn't a four year old girl anymore, but a sixteen year old mutant at Xavier's school for gifted youngsters.

The dream had been so vivid, like I was sitting with my Dad again at the kitchen table, Isaac not even being born yet. When my brain gradually released the dream and got brought back to reality, I saw that it was still dark out. I moaned, falling back onto the damp pillow as I tried to shut my eyes, but they would just spring open again.

This dream was effecting me more than the others, because it was different, because it wasn't the lake.

_Why is this happening to me now? _

I asked to no one in particular. The truth was it was likely due to lack of sleep with the tests being piled up and lessons getting harder. Whatever the cause it was getting worse.

_I might need to see Professor X again, maybe he will have something for these new dreams. _

Before trying to haul my body out of bed, there was a knock at the door. I bolted upright in fear, fear that it might be someone intending on bringing harm or steal something, but then I reminded myself that burglars don't usually knock first.

"Yeah?" I asked, an eloquent choice of word but I had only just woken up. The door creaked open to reveal Johanna's concerned face looking at me.

"I could hear you murmuring in your sleep again, wondered if I should wake you or not." She explained with tiredness easily detected in her voice. This wasn't the first time she's checked on me, these midnight visits quite frequent since the night at the bar a month ago.

Knowing the creep was at the school was bad enough, but he made his presence known more and more often, appearing in the corridors or in the canteen at any given moment with his sly smile on his face. Still, he hadn't tried anything new so I mainly ignored him.

John and I talked to a lot over the last few weeks, finding the extra company at hand if I just wanted to shut away for a while, pretend that Isaac's death never happened as John doesn't know, likely I will never tell him.

I've become quite good friends with Bobby as well, finding his knowledge of science useful when we have Dr McCoy as we mostly end up being partners when performing an experiment. Knowing there was more than one student that cared that I stayed at school, helped me to get through most of the panic attacks and nightmares, but they still pounded me whenever they could.

"It was only a nightmare, thanks anyway." I said, forcing a wonky smile onto my face. However, this didn't satisfy Johanna as she stayed glued to the door, and I noticed there was a guilty expression on her face. Being caught red-handed, she sighed and proceeded to slump onto my bed, legs criss-crossed on the covers as she faced me. She fiddled with her fingers, a habit that she had gained from me.

Johanna wasn't like the Johanna I knew at the start, this outgoing girl who got what she wanted with one little suggestion. Now, she shied away a lot and didn't wear as many bangles and make-up, becoming in comparison quite plain in appearance.

"You know I said I didn't remember anything from the night out? I was lying, I remembered everything." She honestly looked nervous, this truth eating away at her for some time, I just tried to forget it ever happened.

"I know I shouldn't of had that shot, I should've just kept my mouth shut. Hell, I shouldn't of dragged you there! What I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry for telling the creep about your brother, and I was supposed to tell you that as soon as you asked me, but I thought you would hate me if I told you so..." She didn't need to finish, we both knew what she was trying to say.

"Just forget it, honestly, no room for grudges." I reply with a grin on my face, Johanna immediately lighting up a bit more. There seemed to be something extra, a little mischievous glint in her eyes. She grinned to counter the glint, staring at me with detective eyes.

"So, you've gotten close to someone in particular." She pressured, leaning closer to emphasise her point. At first I was confused, she couldn't mean John? She must know I've been talking to him, saying that, I don't think I've ever mentioned him in a conversation.

"What?"

"Don't play dumb. You and Bobby Drake are getting pretty close." She replied on a serious tone, me a bit speechless as I couldn't understand how she had come to that conclusion.

"We're just friends." I countered, unable to think of anything else to say. She raised an eyebrow, signalling that she didn't believe me. I grabbed my pillow and slammed it into her face, it brought laughs out of both of us as we quickly forgot about the previous conversation.

We talked for hours about upcoming lessons and Johanna's _many_ love interests, though she kept saying the name David Alleyne (someone I hadn't heard before until Johanna's constant chatter of him), apparently he was insanely smart, something that surprised me as I thought smart guys weren't her type.

Eventually the gossip slowed down, giving me an excuse to get ready for the day ahead. As much as I like Johanna, I can't have her screeching in my ear about boys forever, not trying to sound cruel, but that's what she's always talked about since we had first met.

I performed my usual routine of getting changed into casual clothes before leaving to go to the swimming pool, having packed my school bag, I dumped it by the front door and zipped out into the corridor. Luckily I met no one along the way, finding not one person sauntered down the long corridors.

**_"Mutants are dangerous and if we don't find some way of stopping them, then they'll destroy everything we hold dear!" _**

The dream struck me like a migraine, making me slightly disorientated as I stopped in the centre of the corridor. The one sentence that I never thought I would associate myself with, and now it was haunting me, worst of all I could hear my Dad's voice in my head. I took deep breaths to slow my heartbeat back to normal.

_Just calm down, he can't make the cure, it's impossible. _

I tried to reassure myself, but the logical part of me argued that it was highly unlikely, but not impossible. Pressing on purposely, I shoved the memory at the back of my mind and focused on reaching the swimming pool with a mandatory amount of time.

Isn't life _great_...

* * *

**Not much to say on this chapter except I really hate Chucky, but I haven't watched it, and I never will. Never. I know she's talking really well for a four year old, but I've kinda done it so its part of her mutation that she learns things quickly, I don't know...**

**Bye for now,**

**~Gothgirlstrikesagain **


	6. Ditching Class

**Another chapter done, and yes I finally got some inspiration back. **

**Thank you for all your support! Honestly, to everyone thank you so much, I'll do a proper thank you next chapter, I haven't got time to do it now as I'm really busy.**

**I've been catching up with Agents of shield and all I have to say...no no no no no no and plenty more no's, I won't spoil anything but I'm impatiently waiting for the next episode. **

**Disclaimer:you know this already...**

**I got addicted to this song, and it's perfect for Sam. I recommend listening to it while you read, if you wish to.**

**with that done, on with the chapter...**

* * *

Do you wanna be somebody else?

_Are you sick of feeling so left out?_

_Are you desperate to find something more,_

_Before your life is over?_

_Are you stuck inside a world you hate?_

_Are you sick of everyone around?_

_With their big fake smiles and stupid lies,_

_While deep inside you're bleeding,_

_Simple Plan ~ Welcome to my life_

* * *

I manoeuvred around the canteen tables towards the window, the meeting place of me, Bobby and John. I only got an apple for lunch, not all that hungry after history, I never did like learning about Auschwitz. Don't get me wrong, we need to know the past to learn from it, it's just difficult to comprehend what they went through. Either way the whole class felt a bit depressed afterwards, so most sat glumly at the tables as their friends tried to cheer them up.

Normally I'd be the one to turn up first, but it seemed Bobby had beaten me, a single finger tracing an ice swirl on the window. He seemed quite content by himself with his power to amuse him, his tranquil nature something I would admit being jealous of.

As I walked over he looked up and smiled at me, a little startled at my sudden appearance. I smiled back, unable to help myself as he was that type of person that was so innocent you couldn't be mean to him without feeling guilty.

"Hey Bobby, how was geometry?" I asked as I sat down opposite him, my back facing the rest of the canteen. Bobby scrunched his face in disgust, despising geometry as much as PE.

"That bad huh? Mine could've been better too." I said before taking a large bite out of the apple, crunching it slowly as if I was checking whether it was poisoned, ready to spit it out if it was. That's just fairy tale stuff, and fairy tale stuff doesn't exist.

"I wouldn't mind if it wasn't so hard, I mean, I like Professor Summers because he's a great teacher, it's just way too much work." He spoke quickly, a slight rant which was understandable as I knew how fast Professor Summers went with his lessons, he didn't stop for anything.

"It'll get easier, most things do." I tried to be helpful, but Bobby didn't look convinced. His typical black turtle neck making him look like an art student, all sophisticated and all that, but he was just kind Bobby, like a friendly Iceman

"Have you seen John? He wasn't in history." I asked, though the logical answer was that he was skiving again.

Bobby shrugged his shoulders, signalling that he hadn't seen him either.

"Not since this morning, maybe he's got a free period or something." Even as Bobby said his theory, we both knew it wasn't true.

I took another bite of the apple, savouring the taste as I had a growing craving for apples. Bobby just stared out the window as usual, John normally being the one to start most conversations, if it was just me and Bobby we could never find anything to talk about.

"You two look so miserable without me around." The familiar voice making both of us turn our heads, John standing in front of us in his usual attire of a brown jacket and plain shirt.

He sounded chirpier than usual, though I couldn't understand why as there was nothing exciting happening, as far as I knew. He slumped himself into a chair next to Bobby, leaning back on it as he normally did.

"Talk of the devil." I countered, quite a slow response but John still took it playfully, faking hurt at the comment. We all chuckled quietly, happy with our little group.

"So, am I the only person that's knowing the gossip around here?" John asked, glancing between me and Bobby, both of us confused. He looked as if it were a crime we didn't know, however Bobby never paid any attention to gossip, mostly doing schoolwork like a goody goody, saying that, I do that as well.

"Professor X is organising a trip to Oscorp, and only people from our year can go." He said, not overly bothered by the idea but liked that he knew more than us.

"Oscorp, why there? I mean, it's all high tech and everything, but if there are any trips they're normally places like the museums." I asked as curiosity got the better of me, though Bobby seemed to agree with me. John just shrugged his shoulders, not knowing himself so we pondered on it, John simply pulling out and flicking his lighter open.

_**Oscorp? Maybe their research has attracted Professor X's attention**_

I tried to reason why the trip was being organised, maybe it was just my imagination, maybe it was just a simple trip. I stopped my mind from dwelling on it, after all, to get a trip to Oscorp was impressive, though it wouldn't be difficult seeing as Xavier's school was exceedingly famous for being a school for _future heroes of New York_, but they didn't realise how true that saying was.

"Where were you in history?" I asked, John giving me a _you should know by now_ look, confirming he was skiving. It was his way of being independent, he didn't see lessons worth the time of day, he wanted to learn how to make his abilities easier to handle, to make them more useful.

In that respect I could understand, I understood why we had lessons, because Professor X wanted all of us to be part of the human community, to not feel like an outsider or a freak. But the truth he was missing, was that we could _never_ be part of humanity again.

"Crap, we've got Wolfe next." John mumbled, closing his lighter as he did so. We all groaned, there was nothing worse than having Logan bark at you, especially if someone got him so riled up that he threatened to chop the student up into bite size pieces. Haven't seen that kid in a few weeks when I think back on it...

"Don't let him catch you calling him that." I warned, but the nickname brought a smile to my face. John just shrugged his shoulders, knowing he was permanently in Logan's death book anyway. Shaking my head at John's dismissal, I saw that Bobby was in his own little world, a bottle of orange juice opened in his fingers tips.

How could I pass the moment up? Even John gave me a wink of approval, so I slowly let a hand slip under the table and extended my fingers apart and willed the water in the orange juice to rise. Like a caterpillar, a constantly shimmering mass of water crawled out of the bottle top, surprising Bobby so much that he dropped it onto the table. Luckily he didn't literally drop it, so no condense spilled out.

John chuckled to himself, trying to hide his snickering behind a hand. Bobby looked annoyed, thinking us both childish, but playing with water was all I knew how to do. He let it slide just as long as I left the water in the orange juice, removing it from the ingredients a crime in his crystal blue eyes.

I released my grip on the water and it splashed back into the bottle, instinctively Bobby screwed the lid back on just in case I tried anything else.

The little prank finished just in time as the bell rang for lessons, nearly the whole room groaning in unison. Most students moved like an elderly snail, trying to put off going to lessons as long as possible. Then there were others, the ones that rushed to class quicker than any athlete, these were mainly the super smart students. However, both me and Bobby fell into the latter, not brainiacs but we despised being late, trying to get desks together as we were in the same class for most subjects.

John had his own category, he either was incredibly late or he didn't turn up at all. Most of the time Bobby and I would say a quick see you later before heading off to class. However, as everyone chaotically squeezed through the exits, John stood up and proceeded to follow us towards the exit. It startled both of us, never seeing him walk towards a lesson before, let alone on time.

"I'll catch you up, I need to grab something from my room." Bobby shouted above the wave of students, disappearing in the mass as me and John continued the trek towards PE.

John didn't say anything as we bustled down the corridors, seeming to be searching for something, popping his head above the crowd. The strange behaviour was soon explained, John suddenly yanking my arm towards a separate corridor. Instinctively, I shifted my arm out of his quite placid grip. The suddenness made both of us stop abruptly, John twisting his body to face me with confusion.

"What?" He asked as if we weren't doing anything wrong.

"Why did you do that, where are you taking me?" I countered, asking the questions quickly. He rolled his eyes as if they were the most stupid questions in the world.

"Do you honestly want to have another lesson with Wolfe?"

"No."

"Well then, we skive it. we're going to the library; I don't want to go, but I'm breaking bending the rules to you slowly, so we'll do homework or whatever goody-goody stuff you do." He explained, ushering me to follow him like a puppy.

I stood my ground, there was no way in hell that I was going to skive off a lesson, no matter what it was.

_**Just one lesson won't hurt...**_

An inner voice whined, it growing stronger the longer I thought about it. He did say we would do homework, so we were doing something productive.

"Fine, just this once." I murmured, John smirking as he raced on ahead, leaving me to follow behind him.

* * *

We quickly found ourselves in the vintage library, the oak tables with their lamps that barely lit up the page during the early hours of the night, it reminded me of a Victorian library. Giant shelves of assorted books adorned the walls, while in one corner there was a modern area where computers were placed, normally everyone raced to the computers instead of having to write homework by hand.

John walked straight to the computers, me hastily chasing after him as I caught a glimpse of the librarian glaring at us. It wasn't an old crone with those spectacles that had rope hanging of her ears, no, this one was slightly older than us who looked as if he was destined to be a politician. Crisp grey suit with a spotless white shirt, brown hair neatly combed as if with a thousand brushes, honestly, he didn't belong in a library let alone a school for mutants.

Elijah as everyone called him, was busying himself by putting the books in order, hooligans such as Danny loved to pester him by unordering them, which caused his loathing towards students being in the library at all.

We sat at the computers that meant we could still see Elijah at all times, obviously if John got bored with doing homework and wanted to play on games or something. I simply logged on and mentally remembered which homework we had over the week.

"What homework do we have?" John interrupted my train of thought, but luckily I was expecting the question anyway.

"Science homework on gas particles, English literature essay on William Shakespeare's Hamlet, and history we have to pick an event during World War Two." I counted them on my fingers, these being the only ones I could think of off the top of my head. John moaned, Elijah turning his head towards us with a killer glare. I nudged John's shoulder to make him shut up, whether it was because of it or because he didn't want to get thrown out he did stop.

"Let's just get History out the way, we can work on the boring ones later." John decided, never bothering to ask me which one I wanted to do. I didn't mind anyway, getting history out of the way was a good call.

"I'll go grab some books, might be something in them we'd miss on the internet." I offered, exiting the seat and quietly heading over to one of the book shelves. Elijah studied me the whole time, trying to find something to get me into trouble, but I followed his rules and held my tongue.

I don't think I've ever heard him speak, though some of the troublemakers like Danny say he's got this mixture of Irish and German accent, which I have no idea as to how it sounds.

I skimmed through as many books as possible, hoping something might help with History, but it was quite difficult to find an obscure event, everyone normally using D-Day or Dunkirk, honestly, there had to be something that everyone overlooked but was important, especially the people who fought or died.

"Need some help?"

The voice nearly made me jump out of my skin, I looked up from the book opened in my hands, and saw that Elijah was glancing between me and the book. I understood what Danny meant by Irish and German accent. Though the Irish took over most of his tone, there was a slight German choppy edge to it, making it quite rough to hear.

"No, I just, I was just looking for some books on World War Two." I stuttered, caught off-guard by his sudden helpfulness. He cocked his head as if in approval, then proceeded to search through the book shelves, disappearing behind the corner for a second before reappearing with three books in his hand.

"These should have what you need." He said, more of the German spilling off his tongue. I took them gingerly, slightly confused by his niceness, considering his death glares from before.

"Thanks." I whispered, skimming through the first book to check he wasn't lying, he was indeed right, my eyes met with obscure battles I hadn't heard about before. I closed it again to see he hadn't left to finish ordering the books, seaweed green eyes waiting for me to close the book, his body language quite uncomfortable.

"I remember you used to come in here quite a bit, I always thought you'd be trouble, the silent ones normally are." He finally said, a smile revealed pure white teeth. Maybe I was being slightly mean, but I never liked it when people jumped to conclusions, though I couldn't say much as that was what I had done when told about Elijah.

"Well I'm not a troublemaker, it was just easier to be alone, when no-one could bother me." I lied, well, it was partially true. I wasn't a troublemaker, and I liked being alone for awhile with books to keep me occupied, but that was only because I didn't know how to talk to people, to anyone other than Johanna.

"You don't seem to be alone now." He commented, a hand motioned over his shoulder to point at John. I glanced in his direction, and saw that he had pulled out his lighter, watching Elijah's back menacingly.

_**Really? I didn't know John could get so protective.**_

I sighed, that would likely cause a problem later, but for now I'd just let him seethe before I confront him about it.

"Yeah well, I got dragged out of my shell, literally. I'd had enough of being alone, thought it was about time to grow up." I explained, feeling proud at myself for speaking so truthfully. So maybe I did play pranks, maybe I was skiving a lesson, but I wasn't afraid anymore, not like when I was younger.

Elijah chuckled, not out of spite but of seeing me so confident. I must have been too quick to judge, maybe he liked being alone they way I used to, to just immerse yourself into a different place so reality couldn't hurt you.

"I'm always here if you need help, I mean books by the way." He added, before disappearing, literally disappearing in a poof of grey smoke that dispersed in seconds. When I rounded the corner, I saw he was at the top of a ladder across the library with about six books piled in his hands.

_**That explains it, he's a mutant too.**_

I walked back over to John, whose glares had stopped the moment I returned into the chair next to him. I placed the books Elijah had given me in-between the two computers, finding that John moved away from them as if they were poisoned.

"What was that about?" I asked with a sigh, my eyes never leaving the computer screen as I searched for information on the Falaise gap and the french village of Chambois.

"What?" He mumbled, hiding his annoyance terribly.

"You know what, the evil eyes at Elijah." I talk as if I'm enlightening him on something he already knows, which he does. He shut his lighter angrily and placed it in his pocket before harshly typing in the keyboard.

"John, I didn't know you were so protective of me." I mocked, laughing at my own joke.

"It's not funny." John really sounded grumpy, so I didn't make anymore comments and carried on with finding information to type up.

I hadn't noticed that he didn't deny it, his eyes glancing at Elijah every so often, his position changed as he was now sorting through a mountain of books on the main reception desk. His unreadable expression unable to be seen by me or John, his eyes glued to a diary.

* * *

The hour went quickly, with none of the teachers appearing to give us a week's worth of detentions, all in all it was a good break to catch up on some homework. I managed to just about finish typing up an essay about the battle of Normandy, though I still had to spell check everything before printing it off. Even John (with all his moaning about how boring it was) finished his essay on Hill 262.

When the bell rang, I quickly saved the essay and took the books back to where Elijah had gotten them from, making sure I put them _exactly_ in the right place.

When I turned around, John had already gone, his form disappearing out the exit.

_**Never seen him move so quickly...**_

I pondered, daydreaming slightly as I grabbed my bag and made my way towards the exit. Elijah sat at the desk, eyes glued on an old looking book, his face representing a mixture of anger, melancholy and nostalgia. I walked quietly over to him, finding that I couldn't leave without knowing he was alright.

"Hey, you okay?" I asked quietly, Elijah only looking when he realised I was leaning on the desk. He smiled tightly, it completely forced as he closed the book tenderly as not to damage it.

"Yes I'm fine. Just...my family was there." He said it below a whisper, seeming to hold back tears, and honestly he did it superbly. I had no idea what he was going on about, but it was affecting him a lot, so I tried my best to comfort him.

"It's okay, if you're speaking in past tense then it can't be that bad." I failed miserably, having no training in comforting people.

"My mother's side of the family originated from Germany, and, well, they ended up in labour camps in 1944." He hinted, a hand pressed firmly on the tattered brown book, barely held together by faded string. It dawned on me what he was trying to say, our history lessons being about the holocaust.

"I'm so sorry..." I really didn't know what to say, but luckily Elijah seemed to be the forgiving type.

"At the end of the day what was done was done, nobody can change what happened, but we can remember them and honour them." He said, straightening his back as he rushed to put the books away, he came back with a smile on his face. He chuckled, avoiding my eyes as he looked at the space behind me.

"I don't know why I told you that, I just let it slip." He said with bewilderment in his tone, the Irish very thick.

"If being here has taught me anything...you can't bottle things up, believe me, I've tried and it ate at me everyday." I spoke truthfully, a tight smiled pressed onto my face.

"I'm Sam by the way." I added, trying to make the subject less tense.

"I never asked."

"You didn't need to." I quipped quickly, finding my quick tongue was because of John, but it wasn't a bad thing to catch. Elijah regained his original composure and outstretched ah and for me to shake, I took it gingerly.

"Pleasure to meet you Sam...is it short for Samantha by any chance?" He asked, to which I cringed at my full name.

"Yeah it is, but I let everyone call me Sam."

"Shame, Samantha is a pretty name." We stopped shaking hands as I realised how late I was, next lesson being with Professor X. That explained why John left so quickly, Professor X was one of the few people that didn't let him get away with anything.

"I've gotta go, bye." I said hastily before sprinting out of the door, never hearing Elijah's reply. I'd likely end up in the library again, but at least I didn't have to worry about his evil glares, well, that was if the conversation wasn't a one off.

* * *

As soon as I reached the classroom, everyone stared at me with judgemental. Professor X raised an eyebrow, expecting my apology.

"I'm sorry for being late." I said truthfully, Professor X's eyebrow raising higher.

"It won't happen again." I added, bowing my head in shame.

"Very well Miss King, take your seat." He sighed, motioning to a chair next to my worst nightmare, Creepy Freddie. I held down my disgust and did as I was told, ignoring Freddie completely. Professor X carried on with the lesson as if I hadn't interrupted it, everyone bewildered that he had let me off so easily.

I wasn't off the hook, at the end of the lesson I would be getting the lecture, but for now, I tried by best to redeem myself. As I wrote down notes, I couldn't help but think about what John said, it going over my head earlier.

_**"I'm breaking bending the rules to you slowly..." **_

If John thought I was going to follow him, he had another thing coming, there was no way I was going to start skiving too many lessons.

**_You've met your match John..._**

* * *

**I've recently found The Vampire diaries, I'm not a fan and I haven't watched any episodes, but Elijah immediately stood out, which is why I used the name.**

**I don't wish to offend anyone on what happened during the holocaust, we've been learning about it for a while and we watched the pianist, it was the first film I struggled to watch, and it was something I had strong feelings for which I find difficult to portray and writing is the only way I know how. So that is my reason.**

**hope you enjoyed this, I have an inkling on where to take this now, until then, thank you for reading!**

**~gothgirlstrikesagain **


	7. Punishment and Remembrance

**I promised a dedication to everyone who favourited, followed or reviewed, so here it is, I honestly can't explain how grateful I am!**

**followers: Doppelganger99, FreyaHawthorne, Lizbeth93, Lousie3872, LunaRosaFreedom, Maddie1998, Mysterious-Lover25, Tiger Mutant, daysoffuturenow, scormier. **

**Favourited: Alice. , FreyaHawthorne, Maddie1998, Mysterious-Lover25, Tiger Mutant, daysoffuturenow, scormier, PoisonPen19, Raven Winter, marie potter riddle.**

**reviews: Tiger Mutant, daysoffuturenow.**

**thank you everyone! For you that have wrote stories I'll be sure to read them, I'm trying to really stay with the fanfiction community since exams creep closer, it gives me something to do if I get a little overwhelmed and I love talking with new people!**

**as daysoffuturenow wrote an amazing review I'm going to make the next chapter a whole memory sequence. **

**But for now I'm going to do what I normally do if I get so far into a story, review what character you would like to see more of or pm me what you would to see, I don't really have set story until I watch the first x men film, or the second one (im trying really hard to find it, it's taking forever!) so I'm open to suggestions at the moment. **

**That was exceptionally long...so I'm going to start the chapter now.**

**disclaimer:I only own OCs.**

**with that done, on with the chapter...**

* * *

_I'm coming home,  
To breathe again, To start again,_

I'm coming home,  
From all the places, I have been,

With nothing, But a voice within,  
That calls me…  
Calls me home,

_Shannon Labrie ~ Calls me home_

* * *

When Professor X said I could leave, I took one last look at John, but he refused to acknowledge me, bowing his head as he stood in front of Professor X's desk. I apologised to Professor X one last time before exiting out the door, hoping Logan wasn't waiting outside to perform his own punishments. Luckily he wasn't, so I sprinted down the corridor with a solemn look on my face.

_It could have been worse... _

I thought as I steadily made my way towards the library, having to spend two hours after lessons to help Elijah, this being for a month because I skived combat. Logan made the point to make it severe for both me and John, luckily Professor X didn't agree and let us of lighter. John would have to be escorted to lessons everyday and spend his after lessons time with Professor X to discuss things he wasn't allowed to repeat to anyone else.

I did dread what he would have to do, but if it was Professor X then it wouldn't be anything too severe.

As soon as I walked through the door I searched for Elijah, mainly looking to the tops of the bookshelves. The whole place was exceedingly dark, only the lamps on the tables and a few lamps on the walls made little pockets of orange light, though many of the books were hidden by darkness.

"Elijah." I called, not too loudly as voices carried around the library very easily. I took tentative steps forward, my bag hanging off one shoulder so I had to hold it tightly. I began to wonder whether he was still there, possibly closing it early for a reason unknown.

Just as I was about to leave, he appeared a couple of metres away before striding up to me. He smiled, but there was an obvious confusion as to why I was there so late. I took in more of his appearance, mainly his hair as his fringe was parted to both sides of his forehead, even though I had thought it was a dark brown, it looked more like a light black but it could have been the poor lighting.

"What brings you here?" He asked, though there was an obvious happiness in his tone.

"I got busted for skipping class, so I've got to help you for a month." I explained simply, his face shifting into disapproval.

"And I thought you were better than that." He tsked, me raising an eyebrow, daring him to say more on the subject. He thought better of it and gave me a quick tour and what I would be helping him with, mostly it was just placing books in the right section or recording new ones on the main computer, while more tedious jobs such as checking who had taken a book out and hadn't handed it in were mentioned.

It seemed easy, but something I would find boring very quickly.

I placed my bag behind the reception desk and began lumbering a cart around with heavy books piled on top, checking the spine to see where it belonged. Elijah spent most of the time at the desk, eyes pointing downwards at whatever he was reading, letting me just roll along.

When ever I passed the desk I would make light conversation, the silence unnerving as it dragged on.

"Doesn't it get boring, doing this everyday?" I asked sincerely, placing more books on the cart that had sat atop the desk, hiding Elijah from view until I moved them. He looked up at my voice, and then pondered on the question, nodding his head slightly.

"Occasionally, but someone has to do it." He replied, not at all fazed or indeed offended by the question.

"Shouldn't you, I don't know, be in our classes seeing as you look just a bit older than me?" I asked, the question in my head since I walked towards the library, honestly wondering why he wasn't a student like the rest of us.

"Ah" he said, not entirely sure how he was going to explain it to me, his eyebrows creasing as he tried to think of the best way. "Well, I may _look_ a little older than you, but actually I'm about the same age as Professor X." He waited for my response, but all I could do was stand there dumbstruck, abruptly stopping with books still in my hands.

"What! Don't you age?" I was immediately intrigued, never knowing anybody with that mutation before, but it could just be they didn't know themselves.

"I age like everyone else, just extremely slowly. It's not as glamorous as it sounds, especially when everyone you knew is growing older while you stay young, I'll likely even out live you." He said, embarrassed by the idea of ageing too slowly. To me it was amazing, being able to watch as the world changed over time, maybe he would see a time when mutants were accepted as part of humanity, but that seemed a far away notion.

"You take _ageing is like a fine wine_ to a whole new level." I quipped, Elijah chuckling at the idea. I carried on with putting the books away after his gaze averted back to his books, signalling the conversation was over.

The longer I put the books away, the easier it got as I began getting used to their mass. It wasn't as boring as I was expecting, and I noted down which books would be helpful with further revision for tests or homework.

Eventually I sorted out most of the books, yawning, I checked the plastic watch clasped around my wrist and realised I'd done my time, the saying reminding me of prison talk. It wasn't a terrible punishment, but I assumed it would get tiresome after the initial newness wore off.

After yawning for the second time, I walked towards the reception desk, but this time Elijah wasn't there. I leaned over and managed to grip my bag with my fingers and hauled it over my shoulder.

"Elijah, I'm gonna go now, see you tomorrow." I half shouted, hearing my voice being carried into every crevice.

"See you tomorrow Samantha." I looked up to find him on a ladder, reading the spine of a book. I glowered at my full name but was too exhausted to argue so I headed out the exit towards my dorm, feeling calm.

It was weird travelling the dark corridors so late, the whole place disturbingly silent. I made the point to sprint straight to my dorm, hoping Johanna was already asleep so I could just jump into bed early.

Luckily I was right, she was fast asleep with saliva sophistically dripping onto her pillow. I smiled, never seeing her so peaceful before, normally she snored louder than any stereotypical elder. I dropped my bag in the centre of my bedroom and instantly lumbered a plain baggy shirt and shorts on before falling straight onto the pillow, not even bothering to pull the duvet over my head.

I lay there for awhile as my mind processed all the events that had happened, and wondered why I kept blaming John. Maybe he had put the idea in my head, maybe he he had dragged me down the corridor, but I didn't object as much I could have done. Honestly, I didn't even put up a fight.

As I thought more on the conversation, the image twisted into two young children, the elder dragging a petrified by towards a monstrous lake. I cursed myself after I pushed the image away. It hadn't originally clouded my head, the idea that the conversation had played out something similar from my past. Every ounce of me told me to let it go, I wasn't in anyway like Isaac being forced into things I didn't want to do, and John wasn't me for persistently trying to break the rules.

_It's not the same, I'm just paranoid over nothing. I need to stop thinking about the past, I need to move on or it'll kill me like it did Isaac..._

I felt a jolt of emotion at my own thoughts, because they were true. The past was holding me back, forcing its poisonous sting into my mind to make anything I did replay those moments. If it wasn't Isaac, it was Dad and the cure, or it was Mom when she was sobbing or when she...

I had to stop.

I thought I was getting better, I thought I was getting braver...I was just finding it easier to hide it.

_ That's it... _

I rolled onto my side and squeezed by eyes shut. I fell into a deep sleep seconds later, the cold air not even irritating me, and for the first night in months...no nightmares haunted me.

* * *

Elijah didn't have to wait long before he was invited into Charles's office. He stepped inside the ajar door, finding that it had opened on its own accord as Charles sat in his wheelchair behind an oak desk.

The sorrowful sight of his elderly friend was one that made ordinary people think he was weak and feeble. Elijah knew better. Charles (like always) proved them wrong. He may not be the outgoing spirit of his youth, but he was a wise and caring man.

"Evening Elijah." He said with a smile, eyes glinting with life. Elijah teleported himself beside Charles, grappling his hand in a friendly handshake.

"Charles, good to see you." Elijah greeted, releasing his hand to take a chair opposite Charles. He sat in it regally, straightening his back as stiff as he could muster, brought up with the upmost manners.

"My apologies for calling you at such a late hour, but I thought it best to enlighten you now." Charles spoke with a sorry sigh, revealing that he was likely the more tired out of the two. Elijah listened intently, he wasn't at all angry at the late summon, he always knew it was important if Charles called him so suddenly.

"I placed Miss King in your care because I believe the solitary might help her. She suffers from nightmares that are based around a personnel subject, to which I won't say without her permission, but the event meant she was left alone, not truly understanding her mutation. I've tried my best to help her, and Mr Allyderce, Mr Drake and Miss Pearce have been of great service to help her find a place in this school. Unfortunately, there is a large area that she is denying anyone any knowledge of, you know me Elijah, I don't wish to use telepathy on a student who does not want it." He finished, quite exhausted at speaking for so long.

Elijah knew what Charles was saying, he believed that he could get trust from her and figure what she wasn't revealing. The way he spoke, reminded Elijah of himself in his youth, left alone to figure out what made him different...only the reason he was alone was from a more barbaric reason.

Elijah sighed, rubbing his thumb and forefinger against his nose, willing the headache that had protruded a while back to stop torturing him, but it never went away, it continued to make him suffer. He wasn't a superstitious man, but part of him believed he was being punished for abandoning his family, for not using his mutation to save others from their blood bathed fate.

But another more logical part of him, reminded him that he was just a boy, he couldn't have fought against so many armed men, even with his abilities. The only man that could was no longer part of the friendship that had formed during the 60's, along with another more fragile mutant.

Elijah shoved the thought of his old friend away, fearing that Charles would read his thoughts, the fear wasn't real, Charles was not the one to pry unless necessary.

"Of course I'll help the girl, but I do not want her despising me because she feels I am simply using her to uncover the secrets. I know you're only trying to look out for your students, but not everyone sees things the way you do." Elijah warned, the truth being that not even himself could understand Charles's train of thought after some time, it was too confusing. Charles smiled, knowing what he was saying was true.

"I believe _no-one _sees the things the way I do, I don't claim to be superior in anyway, but I don't overlook people who others would deem useless or a waste of time. Take Mr Allerdyce for example." Charles stated, raising a hand to empathise his point.

Elijah internally tsked, he couldn't understand what Charles saw in the boy, he caused trouble, and was more importantly dangerous. However, Elijah listened to his friend's reasoning.

"Every teacher and student in this school at some point has said something negative against the boy, even if they don't wish to, but they see he does not want to learn. I think he does, but he wants to learn more about what _he_ can do than others before him, which is understandable. He's a boy that needs a mentor, not everyone telling him he is going nowhere and will achieve nothing, he doesn't need people _doubting_ what he can do. Which is why he is still at this school, because if he was what they say, then he would not be helping Miss King." He finished, talking exactly like a leader giving a speech, full of emotion in every word, caring about every student in the school.

That was why Elijah respected him, because he saw the good in everyone, even the ones that never showed any compassion...he never gave up on anybody.

"Very well Charles, I may not always agree with you, but I can't argue with you." Elijah stated, chuckling with Charles as they were back in their youth, arguing who was better equipped to train the new mutants. Of course, there was someone missing.

"I always wondered why you never went with Erik..." Charles suddenly revealed, though Elijah could tell they were both (for once) thinking the same thing. In truth, Elijah didn't know himself, after the events on that dreadful beach, what choices were made, he questioned why he didn't go with the man he had known longer, who shared partially the same experience as he.

"I guess...on the beach he reminded me of the _fuhrer_." He spat the last word out with obvious loathing, but he was never good at hiding his anger when it came to such things, and Charles knew better then to say anything.

"He thought we were better, that humanity deserved to die...he was wrong. Humanity was fearful of what we could do and I don't blame them for how they treated us, after all, jealously and hate normally fall into each other. I chose you Charles, because I didn't want to be separated from humanity, I wanted to be part of it just as much as you. I know that time will change how humanity perceives us, but we have to make the effort if we want peace, and I want peace." Elijah finished, making him the opposite of Erik at that moment.

Erik didn't want peace, he wanted revenge which always ended with blood. Elijah just wanted an end to the suffering, to end war completely without more bloodshed. Charles nodded his head lamely, he couldn't help but think of their friend, wondering where he was now.

"You may go Elijah, I've kept you enough." Charles wavered a hand, signalling that Elijah could go. He smiled at Charles, standing up to give his friend a goodbye handshake before he left.

"You're still the same Charles, too stubborn for your own good old man." Elijah joked, Charles not really taking offence at the _old_ but he wasn't going to miss pointing it out on Elijah.

"Dear Elijah, you may look young, but you're a grumpy old sod." Charles countered, never letting such language slip his mouth before, brought up to be proper by his mother. Elijah simply laughed off the remark, not going to have an hour long debate with Charles on age, and simply nodded his head in a goodbye as he disappeared in a poof of grey smoke.

"You're just as terrible as the students for laziness..." Charles remarked at Elijah's disappearing act, believing he should use the door like everyone else. But Elijah was Elijah, and not even Charles Xavier could tell him what to do.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I know its short but I've been I'll again (so fed up now) and I just haven't had the energy to write so I left it for a couple of days.**

**i really wanted to add a separate oc, like an opposite to Erik because I loved him in x men first class and unlike most villain characters I don't really see why they went bad (only loki, pyro and I few others I can't think of) but with Erik it's the typical but emotional thing of he thinks he's doing the right thing, and in a way many people would agree with him on, but he goes about it the wrong way.**

**I've heard Charles and Erik being called Martin Luther Kind Jnr and Malcolm X, and I agree on that description. Anywa, that's all I can say for now, please review!**

**~GothGirlStrikesAgain **


	8. The Day The Earth Carried On

**I'm all set up for the next chapter! What happened was I briefly forgot about the dream sequence (I have a bad memory) and began writing about the trip, then I realised the dream sequence and began writing that while still writing more on the other chapter, I know confusing. So basically I've got a head start to make it longer.**

**In the end I decided to upload this early, might even add the next chapter on Sunday...maybe.**

******thank you to Tiger mutant for another review!**

**thanks to BatBabe66 for favouriting and following!**

**The song that I meant to put for the daddy doctor chapter is actually this one, because it describes exactly what Sam is feeling now and then, it's an amazing song and I'd listen to it if you haven't heard it already.**

**I now have an deviantart account, it's also gothgirlstrikesagain and I plan on putting up a manga version of the characters up soon, but I've messed it up as I'm not an artist. Here's the link anyway:**

**http / / gothgirlstrikesagain . Devianart . Com**

**This story is already over 1,000 views! Thank you so much!**

**If you haven't read my other story Angelic Blood for supernatural (I recommend it of course but it's up to you) I'm actually going to try and write my own book on the idea, of course it's going to be completely different from the actual supernatural part of it but I'm using the same oc characters pretty much except Amber (main character) will be ten instead of sixteen, I plan on uploading it to fictionpress once I've got enough done. But that's just a little heads up.**

**disclaimer:I only own OCs **

**with that done, on with the chapter...**

* * *

_'Cause we lost it all,_

_Nothing lasts forever,_

_I'm sorry,_

_I can't be perfect,_

_Now it's just too late,_

_and we can't go back,_

_I'm sorry,_

_I can't be perfect,_

_Perfect ~ Simple Plan_

* * *

Previously...

**_"Isaac! I can't...see...stop...panicking!" I ordered, fearful that we might drown and it would be my fault. But he never stopped, his own phobia making him deaf to my words, water still spilling into my mouth. _**

**_Again I was pushed under, heartbeat thumping in my chest and in my eardrums as the strength left me, unable to fight against Isaac's outburst as we sank further under the water..._**

**_The murky blue being the unmarked grave for both of us..._**

* * *

**_I just about managed to push my head above the water again, gasping in a mixture of air and murky lake water. Isaac still hung around my neck, crying and choking the only thing he was able to do as he scrambled on top of my shoulders, trying to get out of the water. I wanted to scream at him to stop, to keep calm unless he wanted to drown both of us._**

**_ "I can't do it, I can't do it, I can't do it!" He repeated over and over again in between his sobbing. Again I was pushed under as his shoulder connected with the top of my head, pain immolating from the spot. I wouldn't be able to stay under for much longer, my legs and arms beginning to tire already as adrenaline was the only thing that was keeping me from just letting the lake engulf us._**

_ We need to get to the bank, he's just got to move with me..._

**_ I purposely used one free arm and slashed at the water, desperately trying to move both of us close enough to the break between water and air so I could tell Isaac what to do. I gasped in as much as possible, going under briefly, before returning to the surface._**

**_ "Isaac listen to me! Swim next to me, don't let go of my hand but kick your legs to keep you from drowning!" I barked the orders above Isaac's sobbing, he listened, but his gripped refused to let go of my neck. In rage I yanked both his wrists and so separated myself from him. He screamed, now flailing his arms and legs to keep his small head above the water. I looked between him and the bank, time moving too quickly as my childish mind couldn't contemplate an easy equation._**

_ What do I do? What do I do! _

**_"I'll get to the bank and find something to pull you towards me!" I shouted before rapidly swimming towards the bank, my neck burning like cuts from razor sharp scissors, water seeping into the cracks of damaged skin. My mind buzzed, hearing muffled as Isaac screamed at me not to let him die._**

_ I'm not! I'm not leaving you, I need something for you to grab! _

**_I yelled back in my mind, focusing on the one goal to save my brother. For the first time, I prayed to God, just for one miracle, that's all I wanted...one beautiful miracle._**

**_ My drenched form touched the glorious sensation of damp mud, my limbs shaking in exhaustion as the remaining adrenaline deteriorated. _**

**_"Must...find...branch." I growled, pushing my body to no end, managing to crawl towards an old birch tree. A long thin branch lay on the frosty ground, I cursed, it wouldn't hold Isaac's minor weight. _**

**_I searched for what felt like too long, coming short of the exact branch I needed. But then by some miracle, a perfectly balanced branch leaned against an oak tree, the hopelessness I felt suddenly having a spark of defiance. _****_Gripping the branch I sprinted back to the bank edge._**

**_ I rushed into the water, the diseased liquid trying to stop me, however I was more weary of the defying drop as I scanned for Isaac. With relief he was still bobbing on the water, red faced and weak, he was close to giving up._**

**_"Isaac grab this!" I ordered, Isaac turning his head towards me, and love shone in his eyes. He thought I had abandoned him to die, but I promised, I promised everything would be okay._**

**_ "Sammy, I can't do it..." Water gargled in his mouth, but the exhaustion was there. I shook my head, refusing to give up now as tears streaked down my face. My neck was still burning, making me pant and wince whenever the salt of my tears touched the marks. _**

_**"You can do it, Isaac, you **can** do it." I said encouragingly, edging as close as I could to the rim of the deeper water. Slowly, Isaac's arms began to soften, his bloodshot eyes taking one last look at home in the distant, past all the bare trees. **_

_**"I'm sorry, I wasn't brave enough. I don't want to die." He pleaded, but not to me, he looked up at the sky as if the angels were listening. Then he disappeared under the depths, a tiny splash when his head was engulfed by the water, bubbles of air becoming fainter and fainter. **_

_**"No!" **_

_**I couldn't say anymore, my voice breaking as I choked on more tears. I took steps backwards, the water parting as I did so, as if giving me free leave from a sacrifice. I snarled and threw the branch to the side, sprinting towards home, screaming until blood spilled out of my mouth, screaming for anyone or anything to help.**_

* * *

_** "Mom! Mom where are you? Isaac's drowning!" I shouted as I slammed open the back door, running through the kitchen as I bumped into everything within range of my weak body. I checked every room on the ground floor, seeing no sign of her, I became hysterical. **_

_**"No,no,no,no,no...please tell me you're still here." I croaked, gripping my hair tightly as I span around in a circle in the centre of the main hall. **_

_**I couldn't think, I couldn't process anything, my mind didn't even know the layout of home. I stopped spinning, however, the room didn't stop. My eyesight went in and out of focus, and I couldn't tell which was floor and which was ceiling. **_

_What's happening... _

_**I blacked out for a few seconds and found myself on all fours coughing up red liquid, every cough sending a jolt of pain through my body. With eyesight becoming gradually worse, I could only distinguish the blood now splattered on the wooden floor in front of me, and to my horror it held a more solid consistency then it should. But I couldn't stop, more and more blood spilling out of my mouth, becoming patches of red.**_

_** My arms vibrated, somehow holding my body up as it shut down, even my coughing slowed as the muscles tightened. The marks on my neck sizzled with burning pain, gradually feeling like my throat was being ripped open.**_

_**"Mommy..." I whispered, before collapsing onto the floor, everything black.**_

* * *

_ "Oh my god, Samantha! Baby can you here me?..." _

_"H-hello, please, please send an ambulance. My daughter, she, she's collapsed and won't wake up..."_

_ "Sweetie, can you hear me?..." _

_"We need to get her to a hospital right now!..." _

_"Sweetie, this is going to hurt, but we need to move you into the ambulance..." _

_"Where's Isaac? Samantha! Please, please tell me where he is..." _

_"She's stable for now, her lungs were filled with lake water..." _

_"We've found a body..." _

_"My poor babies...I'm sorry...I'm sorry..."_

* * *

_**Beeping, a steady rhythmic beeping of hospital equipment. I felt nothing, not even the numbness of my finger tips. I couldn't move anything, held in the pitch darkness as muffled sounds filled my ears. **_

_Where am I? _

_**My first coherent thought, my mind fumbling with puzzling voices that I couldn't piece together. I remembered Mom, she found me, but I couldn't think of what happened after. The feeling of weightlessness struck me, no pain, just the sensation of flying. **_

_Am I dead? Am I a ghost?_

_** I resorted to fanatical ideas, as nothing seemed real anyway. But the smell of cleaning utensils and hygienic hand gel wafted into my nostrils. It must've been a hospital, but I couldn't order my eyes open to see whether it was correct. **_

_**I began feeling little tingles around parts of my body, mainly what I believed where my fingers, feet and neck were. I tried moving a single finger, finding that I could simply waggle it once before the tingle worsened. I stopped moving too quickly, letting my body decide when I could do something. **_

_**"M-mo-m...m-om..."**_

_** I could feel my vocal cord vibrating at the attempted speech, and I couldn't even tell what I was saying because it was so distorted. **_

_**"Hey kid, you waking up huh?" A calming voice suddenly appeared next to me the sensation of a hand gently stroking my own filled me with relief. I wasn't dead, but I didn't feel truly alive either. **_

_**"Wh-e-r-e..." **_

_**"Try not to talk, your voice box was torn, doctors just managed to seal the wound. Your mother is being monitored in the waiting area, we'll bring her here when you're ready." He told me, whoever he was. He sounded young, and his hand didn't have obvious wrinkles of age.**_

_** "You gave everyone quite a scare young lady, we thought you wouldn't make it past the first day." The man spoke, seeming to move around the bed (I assumed I was in a bed as feeling in my hand felt sheet fabric) as if checking the beeping equipment. **_

_First day? How long have I been unconscious?_

_** It couldn't have been out too long, what was I saying, I could've been out for years. I hoped the mystery man would confirm how long, but he seemed preoccupied with something else.**_

_** "Wow, everything seems to be healing quickly. Whatever you were exposed to in the lake must have been something good. We might have to run some tests to find out the cause, but whatever it was, it saved your life kid." He said, his dumbfoundness easily detected in his tone.**_

_** I liked him, even though I was pretty much comatose, he still talked to me like a human being. Eventually curiosity got the better of me and I gently opened my eyes.**_

_** At first the lights blinded me, burning pain as the ceiling lights were just pulsing white light. However, slowly my eyes began getting used to the brightness and I outlined patterns around me. The ceiling was simple tiled white slabs, quite boring, but luckily I had been put at an angle in which I was technically lying down but able to see to a certain extent.**_

_** I scanned for the mystery man and found him next to a monitor on my left, frowning at a screen the flashing lights that my eyes didn't like. He looked around mid-twenties, spiked hazelnut hair that was quite short, thin but evenly muscled.**_

_** He watched the monitors intently, seeming perplexed by the readings given. He turned to leave, and then jolted as I startled him. He chuckled, holding his chest like his heart had jumped out of it, I would have smiled, but I couldn't order my muscles to do so.**_

_** "Yep, no doubt you're awake." He muttered, stepping forward with a kind smile on his face. I saw that his eyes were a mixture of green and brown, which was strange but seemed to pull off as it made him look kinder. **_

_**"You keep surprising us kid, you're one hell of a miracle." He joked, but couldn't understand the pain I felt from that word. **_

_Miracle... _

_**I didn't feel like a miracle, a real miracle, would be that Isaac was alive. I prayed that he was, that I was wrong and he's in a hospital bed like me. The man twisted his head up, his face changing into one of annoyance, but I couldn't see who it was aimed at.**_

_** "Dr Ward might I remind you that you have other duties, and that you should keep your personal life separate from work." It sounded like a woman's voice, and the tone was like she had no soul. Dr Ward glared, but thought better than to argue and took one last look at me. **_

_**"Keep fighting kid." He whispered before storming past the unseen woman. I moved my eyes to the right, and saw that the woman was a stony-faced elderly doctor. Grey hair held in a bun, clip board in her fingers as she noted down something, eyes holding no compassion for the job in general. **_

_I thought evil doctors were just stories..._

_** "Miss King, I'm Dr Rhodes and I've been your doctor since you first brought to this ward. You suffered from drowned lungs and internal bleeding, we've treated both, but due to the extent of damage we had little chance that you were going to survive. As it is, you are alive which is one less heartache for the staff." She spoke robotically, never taking her eyes of the clipboard, I doubted whether she cared at all. **_

_**"Can...I see m-mom?" I asked croakily, the vibration in my throat lessening. Dr Evil looked up, tsked, then stormed off about of my sight. Stuck up cow... I grumbled in my head, this being the only insult I knew. **_

_**I waited patiently, my eyes drooping every so often energy deserted me. I wasn't tired, I'd had enough sleep, but my eyelids thought differently.**_

_ Dad should've been there..._

_** I concluded angrily, blaming anyone else but myself. It would dawn on me that it was my fault, but my mind tortured me with going through the stage of denial. As there seemed to be no sign of people coming to see me, I gave in and closed my eyes, the steady beeping of the machines lulling me to sleep.**_

* * *

_"Sammy, I can't do it..." _

_"You can do it, Isaac, you **can** do it." _

_"I'm sorry, I wasn't brave enough. I don't want to die."_

_ "No!"_

* * *

_**"Samantha?" **_

_**My eyes swiftly opened, hearing my mother's voice. She sat in a blue plastic chair next to the equipment, hand clutched in mind. It took me a few minutes to remember where I was, the memory pulling me down into the lake.**_

_** "Mom..." I garbled feeling the effects of whatever medication they pumped into me. She smiled brokenly, caressing my hand tentatively. She looked worse than usual. Hair in knots with grease making it look slimy, eyes bloodshot and looking as if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. A plain jumper with crease marks in every which way, and I could just about see she was wearing an old pair of jeans.**_

_** "I'm sorry...I couldn't...I tried to pull him out." I sobbed, tears streaming down my face. I couldn't look at her, afraid of the resentment and shame that would undoubted be on her face. She gripped my hand tighter, threatening to cut off the circulation and make it discoloured. **_

_**"Please don't throw me out like you did Dad." I said it all in one complete sentence, but it ached my throat and I had to take in a large shallow gasp. I didn't want to be alone, I didn't want Mom to abandon me. But I knew, I knew she wouldn't be able to look me in the eye again.**_

_** "Listen to me. Samantha Jane King you look at me right now." She ordered, me knowing better than to disobey. I turned my gaze on her, seeing (rather scarily) a determination in her eyes. There were fresh tears, but they didn't bother her, in fact, she forcefully wiped them away with her free hand. **_

_**"We are going to get through this, together. It was not your fault, you did what you could and I couldn't have asked anymore from you. I should've been there, I should've told you to not go alone. We both are blaming ourselves and that wasn't want Isaac would've wanted. Now, you are going to get better, we are going to organise Isaac's funeral and then we are going to help each other heal." She stated everything without me questioning it, this was what she wanted, this was how she whited the family to stay together. **_

_**I nodded my head limply, though I couldn't move it a lot. She pulled my hand up and kissed it soothingly, not even having to say I love you. We knew that we needed each other, now more then ever. **_

_**"I promise, I'm **never** going to abandon you again." She said as one tear rolled down her face, I watched it, unknown to me that like the promise it would just be forgotten within a month. I was alone, with only the thing I despised most with me. **_

**_Water_**

* * *

**Again I know this is short but I promise the next one will be longer, especially as I started writing it before this one For some reason XD. Anyway, this really was to clear up what actually happened at the lake, I was unsure how to show that Sam survived while Isaac still drowned. Also, the insanely dramatised health issues were a tad over the top, but, I need her to be scarred so this was what I came up with.**

**can't wait for next chapter, a bit more humour but it's gonna really long.**

**bye for now,**

**~ gothgirlstrikesagain **


	9. New York Baby!

**This is longer than I planned, and I mean a lot longer. I was going to add in events in Oscorp but it seemed too down winded and I didn't even know what events to put inside, I'll say it was pretty uneventful and leave it at that.**

**i have nothing to comment on this, take it as you will, and I'm sorry XD. I'm joking, but I kinda added things I wasn't going to add and I think some of the characters are OOC and a tad over the top, but it happened, curse my messed up imagination!**

**also I finally watched man of steel on Thursday, I've never really been a Superman fan, but I have to say it was an amazing film and I hope they're doing a second one. **

**Thanks to Batbabe66 and tiger mutant for reviewing! **

**But honestly I hope you enjoy this, and I hope you don't get bored.**

**If anyone has any questions pm me or review, I'll happily answer.**

**disclaimer: I only own OCs.**

**with that done, on with the chapter...**

* * *

_Maybe I was stupid for telling you goodbye,_

_Maybe I was wrong for trying to pick a fight,_

_I know that I've got issues,_

_But you're pretty messed up too,_

_Either way I found out,_

_I'm nothing without you,_

_kelly Clarkson ~ my life would suck without you _

* * *

It was the day of the trip and most of our year lined up next to the buses that would take us into the city towards Oscorp. Apparently after being escorted around the gigantic laboratory, we would be given an hour to do as we pleased, just as long as we represented the school proudly.

We all rolled our eyes at that, basically it meant don't show your mutant abilities and don't get arrested. Johanna agreed to stay with me, Bobby and John, the four of us quite an odd group.

As soon as Johanna met John, I knew that they would clash a lot, neither even wanted to look in the same direction. However, they called a truce (even though the war hadn't even started yet) because they both wanted me and Bobby to have a good time. I'm pretty sure we could be described as being the babies of the group, Johanna and John being our arguing parents. Admittedly the notion kept a smile on my face as we jumped onto the bus, trying to get seats together.

I was inside first so I chose to sit in the centre of the bus, narrowly able to grab the window seat, two others having to sit in front of whoever sat next to me.

John immediately slipped into the seat, a smug look on his face as Johanna glared at him, clearly demonstrating that she was going to sit next to me. I shrugged my shoulders, deciding they could swap seats on the way back. John snorted at that, well, that was until I elbowed his arm sharply, he then agreed that she could sit next to me on the way back.

"You can be a jerk sometimes." I muttered, John wavering the insult away.

"And you can be lethal, you don't see me complaining." He countered, rubbing the spot where my elbow had connected with his arm.

"You _always_ complain. The day you stop complaining John Allerdyce will be judgment day." I argued as everyone else bustled into the bus. John nodded his head, deeming my comeback quite good. I chuckled, we could easily start off arguing then end up swapping banter, which was beginning to get easier.

It had been a few weeks of our separate punishments, and so far Elijah was being evenly friendly. Still, there was a sense of authority as he ordered me to do extra chores, such as going to find students who were delaying on bringing books back, as a _reminder_. I knew nothing about John's punishments, or what he spoke to Professor X about, whatever it was it wasn't affecting him in anyway.

"Where do you want to go after Oscorp? We've got an hour to waste." I asked John, forgetting that I was just calling him a jerk. John shrugged his shoulders, before attempting to kick both Bobby and Johanna's seats in front of us. Johanna zipped around straight away and death glared him, Bobby following her with his little look of polite annoyance.

"What?" She snapped, to which John raised his hands up in mock defence.

"I was just going to ask where you wanted to go after Oscorp, jeez, short fuse or what?" He said sarcastically, me hiding my smirk by looking out the window. Unfortunately it didn't evade Johanna, who glared a look at the side of my face, she rolled her eyes, she knew it was going to be a long trip.

"I want to go girl shopping with Sam for a bit, so it's up to you boys what you do during that time." She stated, believing she was playing nice. My head snapped in her direction, a look of horror that I was trying to dumb down. It wasn't that I was shopping with her, or she just decided we were shopping, it was that I hated clothes shopping and with the use of _girly_ meant I would despise it.

Bobby noticed the look on my face first, so he raised his voice to be heard and tried to remain neutral.

"Why don't we just stick together, we go to the same shops but me and John go to the men's and you two go to the women's. Then we know where everyone is instead of wasting time meeting up." He deducted, the idea one that nearly everyone agreed on...except John.

"No way am I being dragged around fucking clothes shops." He remarked, his whole body language representing that he wasn't going to change his mind. We groaned, it would take a while before we could come to a compromise.

"We'll do the debating later, let's just get along for the trip to Oscorp, please?" I begged, knowing if I wanted the miracle I might just have to get on my knees and pray to God himself. Johanna and John exchanged glares, before silently agreeing to accept this one wish from me.

"Okay, but you owe me." Johanna said in my direction, John not saying anything but nodded his head in agreement.

Bobby and Johanna sat back in their seats, hidden from view as the bus finally pulled away from school. Cheers rang through the bus, and quickly chatter erupted from every angle. In a way I felt sorry for the teachers having to put up with all of us, but then again someone had to.

"Professor X asked me to speak to you about something, something that you would want to talk about privately." John tentatively spoke in my ear so no-one else heard him, his breath on my ear nearly made me jolt, but I was grateful he didn't say it aloud. I turned to look at him, and saw that there was genuine concern on his face.

_Professor X obviously hasn't said anything about it, of course he would be suspicious..._

I half knew what it was, and half I didn't. Was it simply the nightmares he wanted me to talk about, or was it Isaac's death, or all the things that happened before I entered Xavier's school? Because we never really spoke about the past since that one time in the canteen, I never really thought about telling him, but now it seemed I would have to. Maybe it was about time to trust someone other than Johanna and Professor X.

"I really don't want to talk about it now..." I was going to say something along the lines of 'because I'll likely drown the bus in tears', but John interrupted me.

"You don't have to say it now with everyone able to hear, just. Can you tell me if it's about your brother?" He asked the question without sound, me having to read his mouth which was pretty difficult as he spoke quite fast.

"Yeah, but it's also more than that." I replied invasively, but John seemed satisfied with his one question answered. After that he left me to brood, mainly on how I was going to explain what I wanted to explain.

The structure I managed to get within ten minutes, was that I was going to tell him about Isaac's death and some of the affects after that, and possibly about my dad leaving. I didn't want to say too much, hell, I didn't want to say anything at all but it was the right time as I felt like I knew him enough, even if I barely knew anything other than his bad boy personality.

The time I spent silently staring out the window, John spent annoying Johanna by kicking the back of her seat every few seconds. Considering Bobby wasn't adapted to fiery people, John quite mellow ironically, he was taken aback at how quickly Johanna turned red in anger, ready to turn around and scratch John's eyes out.

Instead, she took deep breaths, a malicious smirk spreading across her tanned face. She knew exactly what she was going to do. Pressing two fingers to the side of her head, she willed images to be sent to John telepathically. She thought some yaoi might shut him up, and with her shipper heart pointing her towards Destiel, she imagined John would share her compassion for the angel and hunter slash.

"What the _fuck_!" John bellowed, everyone staring at him. Johanna smiled smugly, removing her fingers off her head as Logan stormed past.

"Got a problem bub?" He asked menacingly, though he probably didn't care, but was forced to go up by Dr Grey. Many of the other teachers watched Logan, more fearful of him chopping John into pieces than John attacking back.

But John knew better than to anger Wolfe...at the best of times anyway.

"No..._sir_." John replied behind grinding teeth, using all his will not to send a fiery inferno in the damn girl's direction. Logan grunted and walked away, John sneering as he left. I had no idea what Johanna had done, and John refused to comment on it so me and Bobby were left in the dark.

Whatever it was, it was the funniest reaction I'd ever seen got out of John, and I desperately wanted Johanna to do it again. She seemed content sitting next to Bobby, mainly because he didn't say anything in her presence and didn't pester her, in fact, he looked positively petrified of her. I hoped that would change after he saw she wasn't that bad, as long as you didn't annoy her...or be John.

It didn't take long for said John to start clicking his lighter, I thought it was dangerous on a moving vehicle but I didn't dare say it, he wasn't in any mischief for once and I'm sure most people wanted to keep it that way. Unfortunately Johanna didn't see it that way, and popped her angered face above the head rest.

"Will you stop?" She snapped, to which John stared blankly at her before continuously opening and closing his lighter.

"No."

"It wasn't a question, so stop."

"But you _phrased_ it as a question, so I say no."

I could already tell this was going to get out of hand quickly, in the end I decided to just let them fight it out, proceeding to stare out the window as the first sign of skyscrapers appeared at the sides of the bus.

It was a warm Wednesday morning, which meant that many dropouts forgot their shame and played on the parks outside New York. I watched as a teenager around our age tried to kick a beaten up football, only to have his foot pass straight through it. He looked horrified and shocked, the same expression his five friends wore.

_He's gonna have it rough for a while, but Professor X will find him, he always finds us..._

I forced myself to look away as the teenager's friends confronted him about the incident, and I was honestly glad to not be him. When I brought my face back into the bus, I saw that John and Johanna had stopped arguing, John mumbling to himself as he put away his lighter. I heard him say something along the lines of 'slash obsessed rich girl' which seemed quite harsh but I wasn't going to get into it, just letting him brood.

"Bobby" I called over the headrest in front of me, Bobby's head popping up to look at me. "To stop these two from killing each other, me and Johanna will go shopping for half an hour while you and John do whatever, then we'll meet up at Central Park, by the lake." I compromised, finding that Oscorp wasn't that far from Central Park so we could meet up easily without worrying about the others getting lost. Bobby thought over it then nodded his head, John and Johanna were more than grateful to be apart and agreed straight away.

"Then we'll talk in Central Park, if you can wait that long." I whispered to John after Bobby and Johanna both turned around, he nodded his head but I could tell he probably couldn't wait that long.

"If it's that personnel, then I can wait." He said, smiling his little smile before it disappeared. I sighed, there was finally a peace. I took the peacetime and leaned into the headrest, closing my eyes as I suddenly felt drained.

* * *

"Wake up sleepy, we're here." John's voice rang in my head, I groaned, pretending I didn't hear. I was enjoying the non-nightmare sleep, and John wasn't going to pull me out of it.

"Saaaammm, time to wake up." He mocked, using that annoying ghostly voice. I still refused to open my eyes, vibrations telling me we hadn't stopped just yet. I heard John mumble, then a pressure on my cheek jolted me awake. I sat there dumbstruck, John looking straight ahead as to ignore my shocked face.

_He didn't just...what else could...did John just kiss me?! _

My mind really was getting too worked up about it, but I couldn't hide the fact that was what the pressure felt like, a soft peck. Judging by how quick he moved away, he was either embarrassed or didn't want anybody else to notice, seeing as John wasn't the embarrassed type I concluded it was the latter.

"Did you just-" I couldn't finish, my mind still trying to process the idea. John finally looked at me, shrugged his shoulders and acted like it was nothing.

"It got you awake didn't it? It was either that or getting Bobby to freeze your nose or something." He muttered, his eyes focusing on searching for Oscorp as we pulled up in a car park. Everyone cheered as the bus came to a halt, the sound of unclipping seat belts coming from every angle. Me and John did the same, waiting for the eventual order to get off the bus.

"Why'd you kiss me?" I whispered so Johanna didn't hear, because I knew that if she knew then it would spread around the school quicker than a virus. John creased his eyebrows, wondering why I was still going on about it.

"I had to wake you up, it seemed the most effective way." He said it like it was obvious, as if he didn't no any other ways to wake me up, which made me scoff.

"Most _effective_?"

"I could've woken you up in a louder way, which would have made you pissed, so I thought discreet might be better. And anyway, you're not my type." He added the last bit with a smirk, jumping out of his seat as everyone filed out. I stayed sat down, looking at him, mouth slightly ajar.

"And what _is_ John Allerdyce's type?" I asked sarcastically. He winked, being dragged further down the bus due to people pushing forward.

"Girls who can actually have _fun_ and don't ask questions." He shouted, getting whistles off some of the boys. I shook my head, I may have liked the more joker John, but he was beginning to annoy me beyond the limit. Johanna stepped out of her seat as I did, she twisted around with a knowing smile on her face.

"Trouble in paradise?"

"Shut up."

"I don't know why you hang around with him."

"I'm beginning to wonder too." I mumbled, Johanna walking off the bus as I waited for Bobby. We were the last two still on the bus and the driver was becoming gradually annoyed that we weren't moving. Bobby stepped in front of me and walked single file down the aisle.

"You didn't mean it did you? About not hanging around with John?" He asked a little concerned, I rolled my eyes, Bobby pretty much took anything seriously.

"John maybe an annoying prat, but he's a good guy at heart. Don't worry Bobby, I'm not abandoning you." I mimicked my mother, jumping off the bus to join John and Johanna (who were keeping far apart) and made our way inside Oscorp, guided by Professor X, Logan, Dr Grey and Professor Summers.

* * *

Both me and Johanna fell onto an uncomfortable park bench, bags of gifts surrounding us. It was a good thing we were meeting John and Bobby at Central Park because our arms were beginning to ache excessively as we reached the ginormous space of nature. It was truly a mesmerising area of New York, which was hard to come by.

Seeing as it was mid-afternoon, many normal people were playing with their kids or chatting amongst themselves on picnic blankets. The trip served as a great break from school, being able to walk among people like normal citizens seeing as very few people could distinguish mutants from look alone.

Either way, Johanna and I had an interesting half an hour of shopping, and luckily she allowed me to visit shops that weren't filled to the brim with clothes. I managed to buy a few Batman comics, even a few superman ones that were going cheap.

The park bench overlooked the lake, the seating area placed atop a pier type structure, giving shade with a wooden ceiling but allowed bright sunshine to shower people who sat at the edge of the pier, teenagers able to splash their feet in the water. I stayed away, even if water was part of me, lakes were still a big no no.

"How long are they going to be?" Johanna groaned, already bored as we'd waited five minutes. It was a peaceful spot thus I didn't care too much if they were late, and it gave me time to prepare before talking to John.

"Depends where they went, and knowing John he likes being excessively late." I sighed pushing a stray strand of blue hair behind my left ear. Johanna mumbled something and then checked what she had bought. I would do the same, but found my mind wandered back to that day as I stared at the lake water.

I could hear the gentle waves from where we sat, the ripples against the wooden stubs that held the pier structure above the water crackling in my ears.

"You took your time." Johanna commented, to which I realised I was staring at the rippling water. I turned to where she was looking and saw John and Bobby striding towards us. They had two bags each, and wore gaping mouths as they saw how many bags we had, mainly Johanna who had seven.

"What did you buy the whole shop?" John quipped, making the point of sitting in-between me and Johanna. She shuffled away from him and moved closer to Bobby, who seemed quite uncomfortable at the edge of the bench.

We sat in silence for a while, me mainly watching the lake water as the different colours danced on the surface. Shades of blue and brown meant it was impossible to see anything below the surface, but it made the swirls look like ballet dancers as they elegantly swivelled in a circular motion.

"Ready to talk?" John asked against my ear, but my eyes stayed glued on the water.

"Sure, I knew I had to spill sooner or later." I replied, Johanna slightly confused before realising what I was going to say.

_"private talk?"_

She asked telepathically, to which I replied by nodding my head. She smiled sympathetically then gripped Bobby's arm in one hand while carrying most of her bags in the other, Bobby grabbed the remaining bags, still being dragged by Johanna towards an ice cream truck. He looked perplexed, but didn't dare go against what she was doing, and proceeded to just let her drag him away.

"When my mom kicked dad out, I was in charge of looking after Isaac; my brother. Of course when he was a baby mom did most stuff, bathing him, changing him, feeding him. But I spent most of my time either at school or watching him. One day, my mom dropped him in the bath, and he screamed so loud...I remember rushing into the bathroom and seeing him practically latched onto her shoulder, he had a phobia of water after that." I reminisced on that day, I was only five but it seemed to vivid in my little head, I knew he would've died if he had stayed under too long, I knew what caused death.

"As he got older the more I looked after him, Mom slowly became depressed until the point she refused to leave the house unless we needed food or work. Thinking about it, I didn't know how she fed all of us as she hardly went to work anyway. I remember being angry at him, because of his fear of water he would say or do anything not to have a bath, I lost count how many times he said 'I hate you'."

I suddenly became emotional, remembering how much it hurt as he called me names, called me a monster or worse still saying I wasn't his sister.

John simply listened, taking my pauses seriously as he could see how hard it was for me to talk about it. He assumed from Professor X's evasiveness of the subject except that he should talk to me about it, meant that it was something he didn't feel comfortable talking about without me there. He knew as I talked that Professor X was expecting something from him as soon as their next _session_ started, and he wasn't sure whether he wanted to know what it was.

"I got so sick of it that I took him down to a lake near our house, I thought if...if I could cure his phobia then Mom wouldn't send me away because I'd done something beneficial for everyone. I overheard her talking to a friend about foster homes and I knew, I knew it was because of me. I was thinking selfishly, I wasn't thinking about what Isaac wanted, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't alone. As it was, we went too far and there was a sudden drop, Isaac gripped around my neck and I kept being pushed under the water...I couldn't breathe. I knew no-one would hear us so, so I made Isaac get off me and swam to the bank."

I felt tears roll down my face, hearing the eventually plop as it hit the wood of the bench. I didn't brush them away, for once I wanted to look as weak as I felt because I was weak, the same weakness I felt that day.

"I searched for a branch so I could pull Isaac to safety, but I took too long, by the time I found one and went back to the edge, he was too exhausted to grab it. The ironic thing is, the very last thing he said was 'I don't want to die'." I chuckled hollowly, briefly raising my head to look at the sky as Isaac had done before he died.

"I couldn't think, Isaac just disappeared under the water...I ran, I ran home and screamed for Mom. But she wasn't there. Whatever was in the water was effecting me and I blacked out, I woke up a week later in hospital and was told that they didn't know the cause of the violent side effects, one causing me to cough up blood, but they couldn't understand how it had affected me so quickly. I spent another week in the hospital as I healed, Mom visited me every day, even one of my Dad's old colleagues checked in on me, him being the first person I saw after I woke up. When I was out, it didn't take long for Mom to hate me, even when she said she wouldn't. A month later I er, well, I found out about the mutation...Mom abandoned me in foster home five days later and that's about it."

I ended flatly, feeling my eyes strain with the amount of tears spilling out of them. It was stupid getting all emotional on an even that happened years ago, but death being death and me being a child, it brought back too many monsters.

"What about your dad?" John asked through grinding teeth, clearly despising my dad and likely indeed my mom. I laughed, the idea of him caring that Isaac died and I nearly did was sadistically humorous, because he never cared to begin with.

"I wouldn't dare go to see him, not after the mutation. I don't know why he hates us, but he does, and I grew up being told that we were freaks and a danger. When I found out I was a mutant, I contemplated to just end everything, because I was taught to hate myself." I spat it out with venom, feeling rage that I had buried deep down and replaced with fear.

All those thoughts and delusions he put in my head, all those times he told me to stay away from mutants, that he would do anything in his power to create a cure that would end their chaos. It sickened me to think that once I actually believed that was the right thing to do, to believe in eradicating people through no fault of their own were different.

A gentle force pulled me towards John, this force being his hands as he nudged me towards his chest. I never saw John as the comforting type, and he seemed shifty with his own actions but didn't push me away. I felt his chest rise and fall out of tune as his heartbeat quickened, mainly due to what I believed to be awkwardness. I complied and rested my head against his shoulder, finding it more comfortable for John and easier for me if Bobby and Johanna came back.

John let his hands remove their grip on my arms and rested his head atop mine, a stony expression on his face (one that I couldn't see as I hid in his collarbone) as he replayed everything I had said in his head.

"It's over now, they can't hurt you anymore. If it was up to me, I'd show him just how dangerous mutants can be." He hissed the second part, and I could feel the heat of the anger radiate against my face.

"It's not worth it, and I don't want him believing he was right. What happened doesn't affect me as much now, being at school, meeting you, Johanna and Bobby made me realise I'm not alone." I mumbled into his shoulder, feeling his smirk against my head. A hand wriggled free and stroked my hair, the sensation calming both of us as John became less tense with me being so close.

"And you're not going to be alone ever again, I'll make sure of that." He promised, but I'd been told that before and that person broke it. As I lay there on John's arm, I felt more secure then ever before, I felt like I could just remain there. I felt happy. Maybe it seemed a little romantic, and I was admitting to that, but nothing escalated to suggest romance, he simply stroked my hair as a calming (friendly) gesture.

"Only Johanna and Professor X know what happened to me, but I never told them about my dad, I didn't know how they would react." I spoke honestly, finally glad to have the daddy issues off my chest, and John seemed quite privileged to know more about me then Johanna.

"I won't tell. I'm not trying to be horrible, but, I can't feel my arm." He hinted, and I swear I could feel the tenseness of his arm muscles spasm. I smiled, returning to a sitting position and giggled at John's sigh of relief as feeling in his arm returned. He stretched it above his head, along with a few tilts of his head to remove the aches caused by me.

"You can be a good guy when you want to, but you're still a jerk." I joked, trying the lighten the mood and was happy to see John smirk at me.

"Good guys are too plain." He commented, but he looked genuinely grateful that I saw past the bad boy image he had put up, and the way I interpreted was that it was a wall that no-one could break through, except me and Bobby.

"Come on, let's go save Bobby from Miss slash fan." John said scornfully, jumping to his feet expecting me to follow. I gave him a queer look, but rolled my eyes once I realised what he meant. I lazily exited the bench and walked beside him as we left the little pier, the lake water quietly beckoning me back, but I ignored it.

"You give her a hard time, she's not that bad once you get to know her." I argued, giving him a sour look, he sighed in defeat as he thought he'd let me off for what I just told him. He shoved his hands into his pockets as we walked along the sand pathway that was shaded by young oak trees.

"I don't _want_ to get to know her, but needs must I guess." He countered, basically saying he would be nice for me, but he was too proud to outright say it. I smirked, I think it was only then did John realise I would be a match for him, the wall I hid behind eroding away.

"Hello love birds."

The voice made bile rise in my throat, and it also affected John as he became stony faced, both of us stopping in our tracks.

Freddie, Danny and another boy I didn't recognise appeared behind one of the oak trees to our left, his eyes focused on me with a malicious smile.

"Danny... I warned you." John seethed, glaring at Danny who turned even paler with fear.

"I didn't want to do this, I swear!" He spoke back, the urgency in his tone was his own warning to me and John. Freddie shushed him with a lethal punch to his gut, winding him with a tight gasp as he fell to his knees.

"That's for being disloyal." Freddie hissed, spitting at the ground in front of Danny. I clenched my hands into fists, thinking he didn't know the meaning of the word. I kept my mouth shut, but I felt like my silence wouldn't last long, brashness I had unintentionally inherited from my dad, it was one of few good traits he had to a certain extent.

Freddie turned his eyes back to me, smiled, then edged closer. On instinct John pushed me behind him, his trusty lighter kindling the flickering flame. Freddie stopped abruptly, and laughed at the innocent flame, his henchman also laughing, but it seemed forced rather than mockery.

"Come on Johnny...just hand the girl over, you know you can't beat me." He wavered a hand to me, as if ushering me to go with him. I performed my best disgusted face, and it wasn't too difficult as Freddie had been pestering me non-stop the last couple of weeks and the only reason I hadn't told John was because I knew he'd go full rampage.

"Don't talk about her like she's an object." He snarled, extremely close to inferno point as his hand clenched in his jacket pocket. Freddie whistled, not even fazed by John's vicious threat.

"You can take all your threats and you can shove them up your ass." He stepped forward, extending his full height to just an inch above John, and I could feel him vibrating in raging anger.

"Then I can shove something in her."

The disgusting remark nearly made me fire the whole lake at his crotch, and hopefully drown his vile form. But it was John that acted, sending a flaming fireball at his chest, Freddie's horrified form stumbling backwards as he tried to dowse the flames with flailing hands, patting the fire as he continuously screamed.

I gripped John's arm, slightly fearful of how quickly the event escalated. John himself was panting, quickly shoving his lighter into a pocket as he made a quick glance at me, checking if I was okay. Running feet sprinted towards us, but my eyes stayed glued to Freddie's burning form, his henchman swiftly leaving the scene and I assumed Danny had also scarpered as he was nowhere to be seen.

A fog of ice crystals showered Freddie, dowsing the burning so only a singed hole in his t-shirt was left of John's explosion. I looked to where the fog had come from, Bobby staring dumbstruck at me and John.

"You'll pay for that!" Freddie snarled, jumping to his feet as he stormed towards John. I acted quickly, a surge of braveness as I raised a hand. Freddie stopped in his tracks, clutching his stomach as he groaned in pain, staring at me with confusion.

"The human body contains seventy-five percent water, shall we test that?" I explained breathlessly, feeling the water in Freddie separate from the other liquid particles. He groaned as a droplet rose out of his mouth, gliding straight to me with a glistening glow.

When I thought he had suffered enough and when Bobby was giving me a glare, I let go of the water and gasped loudly, finding my energy drained.

Freddie coughed as he crept backwards, never taking his eyes off me and John. He looked petrified, mainly at me as he realised he couldn't frighten me anymore.

"I'm not so innocent now Freddie, so leave me alone." I threatened, and no sooner had I said it he was sprinting out of Central Park. Me, Bobby and John shared uncertain glances, realising that many people were staring in our direction.

"Sam! What the hell just happened?" Johanna sprinted towards us, hugging me tightly as if I'd just got back from a long holiday. I suffocated under her grip, but she refused to let me go so I went with it until my face began being discoloured. As soon as she released me, she rounded on John with her eyes sizzling in anger.

"I saw what you did, everyone in the fucking _park_ saw what you did! Come on Sam." She ushered me with a sharp tone, but I didn't move, looking between her and John. Very quickly she glared at me, trying to comprehend why I wasn't obeying.

"Sam, he's dangerous. I managed to put up with his crap for so long but now he's gone too far, he hurt someone and he's going to hurt someone else, or worse he's going to hurt you." She snapped, latching herself onto my wrist like claws, but I yanked myself free. She stared at me, hurt and angry, and honestly it angered _me_ seeing her with that look.

"Dangerous? He was protecting me from Freddie, you know, the one from the bar you dragged me to." I said with sharpness, however I couldn't hide it in anymore, suddenly saying what I told myself to just forget

"You didn't have to go, and I said I was sorry for what happened."

"Sorry doesn't change the fact he tried to rape me! Over a month of his remarks and sudden appearances, a month of being a scared little girl because I couldn't stand up to the asshole, a month of hell while you talked about _boyfriends_!" I yelled, hysterical not normally in my nature. I knew I would regret all of this later, when it really mattered, but I couldn't hold my tongue and no-one else was trying to stop me.

"Sam..." Johanna whispered, on the brink of tears.

"I'm done being your sidekick, I'm done being second best to you. You had it so much easier, your parents accepted who you are, hell, they felt privileged to have a mutant daughter. And everyday you rubbed it in my face, even if you didn't mean to, but every time you did I was jealous because you had it easy while I grew up hating myself."

The more rational side of me kept telling me to shut up, but I wouldn't listen, or more importantly I faked ignorance.

"You can't blame me because you didn't save your brother, because you were a coward!" Johanna snarled, tears streaming down her tanned face. We were both at each other's throats, and the boys wouldn't dare enter the confrontation in fear of being bitten themselves.

"At least I don't force myself on strangers who are mildly interested!"

It was a step too far...and I could never take it back.

Johanna stopped fighting, staring at me with hurt in her eyes as I glared. She shook her head, lips firmly shut as she shifted her eyes to the ground.

"You're the closest thing I have to a sister..." She whispered, emotion dripping off her voice. Her head snapped up after the moment of weakness, eyes two fiery orbs of hatred.

"Find yourself another roommate!" She screamed, storming in the opposite direction towards Oscorp. It took a minute before I realised what had been said, my body slumping as I felt sick to my stomach. Bobby looked at me disappointingly, shaking his head like a parent scolding their child.

"I'm going to collect the bags." He mumbled, turning around to head towards the ice cream truck area.

"Bobby, I didn't mean-" I stuttered, fresh tears like acid on my cheeks. He twisted to face me, still walking towards the ice cream truck but backwards.

"I'm not the one you should be apologising to." He stated, before running off after our gift bags. I choked back more stray tears, turning to John as he stared solemnly after Bobby. He softened when he looked at me, pulling me into another hug, shushing me as I sobbed.

"You shouldn't need to apologise, none of this would have happened if she hadn't taken you to that damn bar." He comforted, but it just angered me even more. I pushed away from him, horrified that he had said that, horrified at myself for saying such horrible things.

"How can you say that! She _hates_ me, Bobby hates me, everyone is going to hate me because of this. I shouldn't have let you do that, I shouldn't have done what _I_ did." I shouted, the urge to punch something pulsing through me, a feeling that terrified me.

"The creep deserved a taste of his own medicine, he deserved a whole lot worse." John growled, it sounded more animalistic than human. I shook my head, adrenaline forcing me to raise my hands, stamp a foot, random things to keep me moving as if I was anxious.

"You don't get it, you never will get it. This is Isaac all over again, this is my dad all over again. You don't know what it's like, my Mom couldn't even look at me, she sent me away because of what I did!" I screamed, my mind piecing the wrong things together, things that were nothing alike.

I couldn't think, my mouth just kept spilling words that didn't sound like my own, sounding too much like dad.

"At least you had a home, all I had was my lighter. You wanna know what I called home? A housing estate with an alcoholic older sister, so don't you _dare_ say I don't understand." He snarled, stepping towards me with the same inferno he had when confronting Freddie. I put up my arms in defence, but John just pulled them back down.

I was expecting to be blasted by a gigantic fireball, but that wasn't the heat I was surprised with, it was something much softer. For the second time in one day John kissed me, but this time he found my lips. It wasn't forceful or heavy, just a soft, long kiss. It felt like a heat transfer between the both of us, it could have just been my imagination or it was John's mutation, either way I closed my eyes as the sensation was calming.

He pulled away seconds later, leaving me puzzled. He took my puzzled state as an opportunity, brushing away my tears with one hand as I stared into his brown eyes.

"You were right...opposites attract, but honestly I don't think we're that different really." He muttered, his hand gently caressing my cheek. I don't exactly know how to explain how I was feeling, however shock, confusion, calm, anxiety were definitely present at that moment.

"You're too confusing John." I quipped hollowly, him chuckling at the remark. He dropped his hand, awkwardly waiting for a less comical answer to the kiss. It was simple what he was suggesting, but I doubted whether he knew himself if it was the right thing, after all we had just proven that we were bad influences on each other.

_Screw it, I've got nothing left to lose..._

I went in for another kiss, but it was literally just a peck as I needed more time to think. John smiled nonetheless, happy I hadn't downright rejected him. With my mind slightly cleared, I realised that I needed to try and salvage my friendship with Johanna, if that was even possible.

"I've got to go and say sorry to Johanna, I shouldn't have said all of that." I motioned a thumb over my shoulder, John didn't seem too happy with it, but nodded his head with a tight smile.

"I may hate her, and she has a lot to answer for...but you've gotta do what you gotta do. I better go and help Bobby with the heavy lifting anyway." He replied, and I stared at him confused.

"Don't go going soft, we're still rivals." I joked, John scoffing.

"Soft? Please. No girl is making Pyro go good guy." He said all majestically, bowing as he revealed his nickname. I couldn't help but chuckle slightly, wondering why everyone had nicknames anyway.

"Pyro...seriously?" I questioned, never hearing his answer as I sprinted after Johanna.

If only I'd known what that name would represent a couple of years from then: a terrorist working with the brotherhood founded by Magneto.

If only I'd known what Aqua would represent.

* * *

**The kiss...long story. It just seemed the right time and I'll likely have to change the genre to romance. I don't write romance, I'm not a fan, but I always try new things when writing so this was a test to see if I could in fact write it. Don't expect a lot of fluffy stuff, but I'll try and write it better when the story progresses.**

**cant wait for next chapter, its got a little cliffhanger at the end that I hope you guys like. **

**Until then, please review!**

**~Gothgirlstrikesagain**


	10. Journey To The Past

**I'm so far ahead, seriously, I was writing this just before I uploaded 'the day the earth carried on' (anyone get that reference?). Anyway, I'm really ahead with the chapters so I've had more time to proof read stuff.**

**I know I uploaded the last chapter yesterday, thank you for the amazing response by the way, but I decided to treat everyone with this chapter early as it was literally sitting in the doc manager area since Thursday. So yes, little itty bitty treat for you amazing people!**

**Thanks to Batbabe66 and Tiger Mutant for yet another lot of reviews, and do answer tiger mutant's question...you'll just have to wait and see mwuhahahah... Honestly I don't know at the moment, I'm just writing what comes to me as I'm waiting to still find the films.**

**This chapter...I understand it might not be for everyone, but I thought it was fitting. I love this song, so many fandom videos use it and it's truly beautiful.**

**thats all for now,**

**disclaimer: I only own OCs. **

**With that done, on with the chapter...**

* * *

_And I've lost who I am, and I can't understand,_

_Why my heart is so broken, rejecting your love, without, love gone wrong, lifeless words carry on, _

_But I know, all I know, is that the end's beginning,_

_Who I am from the start, take me home to my heart,_

_Let me go and I will run, I will not be silent,_

_All this time spent in vain, wasted years, wasted gain,_

_All is lost, hope remains, and this war's not over,_

_There's a light, there's the sun, taking all shattered ones,_

_To the place we belong, and his love will conquer all,  
_

_Shattered ~ Trading Yesterday_

* * *

Unknown POV

I had to keep running, I had to find this school for mutants. It had come to me in a dream, the majestic mansion housing people who had been abandoned, forgotten or ran away...I fitted the requirements perfectly.

The metal wielding man had let me go, if he had truly wanted to enslave me he would have done it ages ago, same with the blue woman. Fair to say the escape wasn't easy, and the slimy guy didn't help, that disgusting sickly green goo that reminded me off mushy peas left in a fridge too long, yuk!

I didn't know which city it was, maybe San Francisco or New York, somewhere big, though my thoughts pointed towards New York as everyone seemed excessively aggressive. The school must have been on the outskirts, the only explanation for the overgrowth of plants, that was, if I was in the right city at all.

_I hate these dreams, they're never truly clear..._

I grumbled, but deep down I was grateful, because I had a destination to strive towards. said destination I could make out in the distance, focusing on it as I stumbled past a couple of homeless people in an alleyway. I thought they were going to mug me, but realised I was technically classed as _homeless_ too.

I saluted them as I walked past, they waved back, but quickly placed their hands over the burning trashcan again.

You gotta love New York...

* * *

For the hundredth time I huffed, dragging the heavy suitcase upstairs, every step tiring.

As I had guessed Johanna refused to be near me, no matter how many times I apologised. I deserved it, I deserved a whole lot worse and it would be along time before she could talk to me again. If she ever forgave me.

I was so close to the top, I could taste the sweet relief of stable flooring. Unfortunately, the relief was short lived as the clip of the suitcase flipped open, all my clothes falling back down the stairs. I turned around and watched with grimace at all my clothes strewn on the different steps.

"Really?" I groaned, bowing my head in shame as I stumbled back down the stairs, aggressively picking up handfuls of clothing. I reached the bottom, crouched over as I picked up a night shirt, when a pair of trainers entering my eye line. Slumping my shoulders in embarrassment, I looked up to see the mystery boy that had been with Freddie.

I glared at him, standing up again as I clenched my left hand into a fist. He stared at me, glancing briefly at my fist before bending over and gingerly picking up the night shirt. He handed it to me, slightly confused, I took it expecting him to leave. Instead he stood there, an apologetic look on his face.

Dark skin and short shaven black hair, he seemed familiar for a different reason. He wore orange sunglasses, quite strange, but it was a school for mutants after all so there obviously was a reason for them.

"I'm sorry about what happened in Central Park last week, I would have done something..." He couldn't finish, and the nagging sensation that I knew him kept pestering me. Then it hit me like a light bulb above my head, I understood why he was so familiar.

"You're David Alleyne aren't you, Johanna's boyfriend?" It was more of a statement than a question, because I knew they had gotten closer since the Central Park incident. He nodded his head, to which I nearly did punch him in the face.

"You hurt her, if this is just a game with Freddie..." I stopped as David raised his hands defensively, shaking his head like a scared little kid.

"No I swear it's not a game, I'm not cruel like him. I just don't know how to...tell her." He mumbled the last part, me even more confused. He was obviously there for a reason, never even bothering to meet me when I was Johanna's best friend.

He seemed excessively shifty, something I wasn't expecting as Johanna liked the more forward type, but that was only so she could boss them around and show them who was boss. David was undoubtedly built with muscles, which would have attracted Johanna, but the shiftiness and nerdy personality I thought would have put her off.

"Look, I don't care why you were with Freddie, I don't care about what you want to tell her. What I do care about, is her, so if you hurt her I'll be coming after you, no matter if she hates me." I warned, because I didn't want Johanna becoming even less secure with herself, because she was the bravest girl I knew.

"I know you two have been having it rough lately, and I've been trying to make her give you a second chance. I don't want to hurt her, which is why I'm telling you this, because this is actually the first time I'm coming out with it." He spoke quickly, stuttering over certain words as he became increasingly nervous, his palms looking sweaty.

"I'm gay okay, I know I am and I just don't know how to tell her." He sighed, hiding his face in his sweaty hands. I stood there speechless, not in a million years thinking this was what he wanted to tell her. Okay, maybe he was the butch type, and he did seem a bit...camp, but I wouldn't have pinned him down as gay.

"Erm...the best thing to do is to tell her now, end it before it causes anymore damage then it will cause." I tried helpfully, knowing it would be better to just tell her. He smiled gratefully, but was still nervous as to how he would tell her.

"Thanks, and before I tell her I'll be sure to say you deserve a second chance. You seem okay to some of the girls here, and I know you care a lot for Johanna...don't worry, I'll talk her round." He stated, slightly full of himself as I knew it would take a lot to make Johanna Pearce forgive me. I thanked him with a handshake, and he offered to help me take my things to my new dorm. Again I thanked him, but took everything once the suitcase was full again.

The dorm wasn't too far away from the stairs, but even so I dropped the suitcase with a thump next to my feet. I knocked on the door politely, waiting for my new roommate to open up. I didn't know anything about her except she was new, Professor X finding her a week ago. Hopefully she would be okay, because I really didn't want to move for a second time.

The door opened a crack to reveal a reasonably short girl with long brown hair, she looked me up and down, but there was a sweet smile on her face.

"Hey, so you're my roommate." She guessed, opening the door a bit more for me to see inside. It was slightly smaller than mine and Johanna's with a lot less stuff crowding up the place, but it looked homely.

"Yeah, I'm Sam." I greeted, extending a hand. The girl took it gingerly, but held a firm grip as we shook once before our hands fell to our sides.

"People call me Kitty, you wanna come in?" She offered, opening the door ajar so I could fit inside with my suitcase. I took it gratefully, picking the damn thing up and walking inside with Kitty closing the door behind me.

It was easy to tell that it was meant for only one person. The whole room was a living area, two beds propped against the wall opposite me, the headrests touching the plain walls as the beds were about a metre apart. The window shone onto the beds, which would likely be tedious in the early morning. Another door to the left was likely the bathroom, and that was all the dorm had to offer. Luckily a couch and an old tv were there for entertainment, but it looked as if we would have to entertain ourselves other than that.

"I wasn't expecting company until this morning, so sorry if the place looks like a tip." Kitty spoke a little louder than necessary, looking around the room with raised hands, practically saying 'this is it'.

"No, it's really...nice." I lied, pretty terribly as I turned to face Kitty who sat on the bed on the right. She raised an eyebrow, cocking her head to the side to prove she didn't believe me.

"Yeah, it's bad." I spoke truthfully, but we both chuckled at it as we both knew it was true. Kitty motioned for me to take the other bed, I dropped my suitcase at the side and plopped onto the bed, facing the ceiling I saw it was patterned with floral decorations in the wood work.

"How long have you been here for?" Kitty asked, a slight tentativeness at the question. I sat up and twisted by body around to face her, legs crossed over each other.

"About six months, honestly I can't really remember." I replied, even with all the drama I was still grateful for being there, it was more than a school, it was home.

"How long does it take to, fit in?" She muttered, clearly nervous at being treated differently because she was new. I knew the taunting feeling, I felt it on my first day, but I found it was quite easy to fall into a set pattern.

"You'll fit in just fine, really, this place is the best place you can be." I smiled comfortingly, Kitty sharing this smile as she could tell I wasn't lying. I could tell she wasn't proud of her mutation, whatever it was, but she seemed to be a sweet girl nonetheless.

"You can hang around with my friends if you want, just to give you some stability." I offered, knowing Bobby wouldn't mind, it was just John that was unpredictable. Strangely enough we didn't speak about the kiss and mostly carried on as normal, but I knew that wouldn't last forever, he was giving me time to think what I wanted. Part of me wanted to go with it, see where it leaded, but the other more insecure part of me didn't want to ruin our friendship.

"Thanks, I think you and I are going to get on well." She concluded, and I did agree. We spent the rest of the lesson free time chatting about what classes Kitty was taking, where to go, who to watch out for troublemaker wise. I tried not to mention John in the conversations, in case my face betrayed me as Kitty seemed to be a person who could read people easily. However, we only had one brief chat about which boys were ones which she might like, Bobby being added to a relatively short list. She seemed genuinely interested in him, so I couldn't wait to introduce them.

It was evening before we knew it, Professor X allowing me to miss lessons as I helped Kitty, but I think he thought we would do more productive activities. What I learnt was that Kitty could walk through objects like a ghost, she demonstrated this by running head first into the bathroom door, nearly giving me a heart attack until she appeared again with a nervous smile on her face. She explained it didn't work all the time, and that it could suddenly happen without her in control.

"That's why most of us are here, to learn control and to not be treated differently." I told her warmly after she sat down on her bed again. She said she had had it rough the last couple of years, it got to the point she refused to go to school because of the bullying. In that respect I empathised, simply saying that I spent my later years in a foster home home before going to Xavier's school.

I stood up and told her I was going to the library. Since Central Park, both me and John were put on a longer punishment, now being a month as Freddie twisted the story. I doubted that Professor X believed him, but still enforced punishments to keep all of us in line. She didn't ask why, replying that she would just watch movies and tv until I came back. I promised I'd watch a movie with her later, not watching much tv in a while.

* * *

"You'll be sick of the sight of this place when you're done." Elijah quipped, disapprovingly tsking as I entered his fresh-hold. Personally I think he would be fed up with me, but didn't say it as I performed my usual duties of putting my bag behind the desk and wheeling the cart of books around. Elijah still didn't talk much, but caught me for a conversation every so often.

"Do you have an idea of what you want to do when you finish school?" He asked me, my mind suddenly blank. I didn't have an answer to begin with but the question made me even more blank.

"I guess college...if I'm lucky." I mumbled, but the idea of a _normal_ college frightened me. Normal college meant normal students, and so placing so many mutants in said colleges would be suicide as everyone would gang up on them like hounds. School was more a place to learn how to control the mutation and house them, but beyond the X-mansion's gates the world wasn't so willing to let mutants learn.

"I'm sure you'll do just fine, as long as you perceiver then you will get what you desire." Elijah responded with philosophy, the riddles something that confused me more than Professor Summer's geometry.

I walked up to the desk to grab a few extras books, and for some reason I glimpsed at a book with fallen out pages struck together. Elijah had disappeared in search of late books, leaving this one open on the desk. Confusion drowned me as I swore it was my father's handwriting. I don't know how I knew, the slanted writing quite messy compared to when he wrote letters or paper work, this looked more like a rough journal.

I leaned over the desk and gently pulled the book to face me, turning it in my fingers as I skimmed over the words. To my horror it was my father's writing, technical terms I didn't fully recognise but I could interpret it as being about his cure. I flipped through the pages aggressively, not caring if I ripped the paper as random words popped out at me.

_**Sebastian Shaw...Erik Lensherr...Russian and American missiles...Elijah Gärtner... **_

Only one name made sense, but it only confused me more.

_Why is Elijah mentioned in my dad's journal? _

I firmly shut the notebook, feeling betrayal as I didn't know how much Elijah knew. As far as I knew, he could have been working with dad on the cure, I was pretty sure he was still alive, the old man was to stubborn to die.

A polite cough behind me made me twist in the direction swiftly. Stepping forward was Elijah, an apologetic look on his face. I creased by eyebrows, raising the hand with the notebook inside for him to see, watching as he took a loud gulp.

"Why do you have this? Who are you?" I questioned menacingly, needing answers to the many questions I had. Elijah didn't answer, he simply stared at me with a blank expression before calling to someone behind him.

"I warned you she wouldn't take it well." He uttered to the still unseen person. I practically paled within seconds as I heard the familiar sound of Professor X's wheelchair gliding next to Elijah, him sharing an apologetic look.

"Believe me Elijah, I knew the consequences of such forward actions." Professor X replied, shushing the man next to him. Elijah scoffed, clearly doubting whether the wise man actually knew the consequences, because in the short weeks of talking with me he knew that I was more brash when confronted.

Professor X knew exactly what I would do, he knew all his students, but he couldn't lie to the fact that I had changed so much from the original shy girl he had met six months ago. He was waiting for me to prepare before he bombarded me with terrible news, but my whole body just shook.

_ Was everyone I got close to lying to me? Or am I just a curse?_

"We have much to discuss Samantha."

I shuddered, Professor X never used a student's first name unless it was extremely serious, and it frightened me.

"You will have questions and you will undoubtedly be angry, but before we talk about the subject I want you to know, none of this was any trickery, you do belong here." He insisted, which purposely made me gulp.

"Is this going to take long? I kinda promised Kitty I would watch a movie with her." I joked hollowly, to which Elijah smiled briefly before returning to his sorrowful stance.

"Let's take this to my office." Professor X concluded, pressing a button so his wheelchair swiftly spun around to face the door of the library.

"Why are you telling me this now?" I called, taking a step forward towards the two men. Professor X abruptly stopped, he didn't turn around so I couldn't see his features but his eyes were indeed cast down to the floor.

"Because miracles take time Miss King, they take an exceedingly _long_ time." He replied flatly, whizzing forward with more momentum. I was still confused, even more so because it seemed everyone was speaking in riddles. I turned to Elijah, but he was refusing to look at me as he followed after Professor X, face shadowed with what I could only describe as being mild jealously.

Curiosity spurred me on to follow them, my brain desperately trying to interpret what they were hinting. Miracles was the key, but it made no sense, what have miracles got to do with anything? A migraine roughly pulsed on my forehead, punishing me for trying to figure it out. Begrudgingly I stopped guessing and stormed towards Professor X's office.

* * *

Unknown POV

I paced and paced and paced the length of the bald man's office, anxiety always attacked me at the worst of times. The homeless clothing stunk and gripped damply against my undernourished skin, a small price to pay for escaping a laboratory but it made me extremely self conscious.

_Where did they go? Are they bringing the metal man with them? _

I asked the idiotic questions to no-one, of course they wouldn't bring the metal man, the metal man was dressed too regal for these two. The nerdy helmet and robes weren't human like, but there was no denying the man's power. The man reminded me of one of Dad's comic books, mainly the Batman one, but he didn't sound crazy...or insane anyway.

_I shouldn't be here...what if the white-coated people come? They'll take me back to the cell and... _

I tried not to think about it, the vivid memories of pointy needles and monstrous machines terrified me. No, the bald man said I would be safe in the school, he said nothing bad would happen. But bad things always happened, I was the definition of bad things.

I slumped into the chair facing the oak desk, the bald man had sat across as he quizzed me on everything I knew. I thought it was a waste of time, he didn't need to know anything except the laboratory and the bad people inside it, the ones in the white coats. The man had seemed pale, continuously staring at me with shocked but awed eyes.

_What was so amazing about me?_

* * *

"Before you enter, I must warn you, don't cause too many loud noises." Professor X warned me as I edged to grab the doorknob. Elijah stood behind me, and I could feel his eyes bore into my back, even Professor X couldn't stop staring at me, waiting for the eventual realisation that would force me unfairly into emotions that could break me.

I grabbed the doorknob, turning to Professor X for approval, he granted it before lowering his head. I turned the doorknob with a click, and faintly heard a squeak of fear. Creasing my eyebrows, I slowly pushed the door open and peaked inside.

At first my eyes met with nothing as I scanned the room, but as they fell on the desk, I saw that someone was occupying the student chair. I stepped inside, the stranger quickly jumping to his feet and faced me.

I stumbled backwards, yelling as the face haunted me. Elijah immediately rushed in and tried to calm me by whispering in my ear, telling me it wasn't an illusion. The stranger shrunk away, perturbed by my reaction. Then the face softened into a hopeful realisation.

The stranger, scruffy black hair that was damp with grease, sunken facial features as the cheekbones reminded me of a skeleton. The dirty clothing of a large coat that dragged on the floor, baggy patient trousers and shirt that were grubby with grey and brown colours of unnamed substances. No matter how different the stranger looked, no matter how undernourished _he_ looked.

There was no doubt who it was.

And it broke my heart as he stood there, nothing like the boy I knew.

"Sammy?" He asked sheepishly as his voice broke, stepping towards me with a single hand outstretched. I choked down tears, my legs unable to hold my weight up so I slumped onto my knees. Elijah crouched down with me, but he was slowly starting to release me as the boy stepped closer.

Clumsily, he lowered down to my height, stumbling over the large wool-lined coat. I shook violently, unable to control myself as the miracle sat in front of me, like an impossible dream.

He gently took a strand of my blue hair and curled it in his bony fingers, staring at it as if hypnotised. He remembered doing that as a toddler, grabbing his older sister's weird blue strands, finding it beautiful and magical.

"Isaac..." I sobbed, to which he dropped the blue strand gently and slowly nodded his head, mouth open in a quirky smile. I laughed in my sobs, pulling him tightly into a hug that could have suffocated him. He hugged me just as strongly back, finding that he to was reduced to tears as he never thought he would see me again.

"I'm sorry for giving up." He whispered, finding that was all he could say at that moment. I hugged him tighter as I stifled back chokes, still trying to process that he was there, in my arms, _alive_.

"I'm sorry I didn't rescue you, I should've looked after you better." I replied, stroking his greasy hair, feeling it squelch in my fingertips.

"You're still my hero." He countered, making both of us chuckle hollowly.

Maybe there is such a thing as magic.

* * *

The reunion was more than humorous to the two men watching the young children, never seeing such relief between two siblings.

Elijah couldn't help but smile, honestly glad to see Samantha genuinely happy even if he was slightly jealous. Of course he wished miracles like that had happened with his family, but miracles he thought impossible until Charles had called him to his office, meeting the skittish boy.

Both Elijah and Charles didn't have an explanation, but they were going to work day and night until they had one. All they knew was that Erik had found the small secretive laboratory and proceeded to free the mutants held captive there, the boy being one of the victims but managed to escape Erik's clutches along with the journal. If Erik was taking interest in these labs, then there was clearly something suspicious going on.

Elijah watched the siblings exchange more hugs and ecstatic voices as Samantha explained the school to him. He looked positively thrilled to have his sister back, as well as being off the streets. Charles definitely knew which mutants needed rescuing the most, Cerebro was a marvellous machine.

"When will you tell them?" Elijah whispered to Charles, the two children unable to hear him as they were too mesmerised with each other, he had to admit it was cute.

"Not now, they need time to heal." Charles replied, but Elijah didn't agree.

"They don't have _time_ to heal, if Erik realises the boy is here, he'll come and take him and he will likely take the girl too." He replied a little sharply, Charles noting the sharpness as an indication that Elijah was being urgent.

"He won't come here, not yet, and in the mean time these two need to rekindle their family. And family is exactly what they need right now." Charles countered, remaining calm as Elijah increasingly wasn't. He sighed, he didn't like the idea of waiting but he couldn't argue with Charles.

Erik would likely stay away to recruit, but he would try and take the boy eventually.

The boy's mutation was dangerous, catastrophic if he wished it to be. Erik wanted him for a reason, and the reason was likely his mutation...witnessing the future.

* * *

**I only decided to bring Isaac back as I wrote the library bit, I was going to write something between Charles and Elijah as they told Samantha about something connected to Isaac...but I thought she deserved her miracle before the tragedy. **

**I'm sorry if Kitty seems a bit OOC but I haven't watched a scene with her in it yet except the juggernaut scene, and she seemed pretty bitchy (if thats the right word) so I'm just going with what I've got. **

**Before people flame on how Prodigy (David) is gay and everything, he actually was hinted at being gay in the comics, so, I'm going with the comic version. **

**That's all for now, I'll have more sibling stuff next chapter as well as John/Sam. It might be another long one, I don't know yet.**

**~Gothgirlstrikesagain **


	11. Never Be The Same

**Another chapter I've written too early...meh, I've done it now.**

**I know I say this for every song I put up, but this one I think is based on the promise John made, how he'll TRY to make it work., it's a good song and I love it. another simple plan one, I'm kinda obsessed with them at the moment.**

**Thank you to Tiger Mutant, Sky. Fay and Spirit Kiss for the reviews.**

**Tiger Mutant~ I've been trying to write my own story for a while! but I've also got enough in the ropes of fiction-press, but I'm unsure whether to continue as the themes are quite controversial. But thank you for saying that :)**

**Sky . Fay~ I think he was bisexual but for the story I just decided gay because it was easier, but you are right. I don't know why, I enjoy adding OCs into stories that have tragic pasts, I'm glad you think its realistic :).**

**Spirit Kiss ~ can I just say your review made me smile for ages. as I was spell checking stuff I realised that it seemed too easy to figure out who it was, as I wanted it to be a surprise, but in the end I just left it as it was. Thank you :)**

**I'm really getting into this one, and I'm glad so many people are enjoying it, as I'm writing this it's passed 2,000 views already! I can't say thank you enough!**

**so because of this I'm going to ask any artists/video maker people on here if you'd like to do artwork or a trailer for the story (I personally know its difficult to make videos especially how long it takes, I would do it myself but I don't have sony Vegas pro or movie maker). I haven't thought of the prize for people who do it but there will definitely be a mention in the author's note and a link, you don't have to, it's just if people would like to i'd be more than grateful that you gave the effort to do it. **

**disclaimer: I only own OCs.**

**with that done, on with the chapter...**

* * *

_But I'll try, to never disappoint you,_

_I'll try, until I get it right,_

_I've always been so reckless, all of my life,_

_But I'll try,_

_For you..._

_Simple Plan ~ Try_

* * *

Isaac just shovelled mountains of food into his mouth, barely stopping at his fingers as he crunched happily. It was surreal sitting opposite him in the canteen, the assorted plates of food surrounding his edge of the table. I simply twisted the fork in my fingers, my own plate of chips in front of me, however I wasn't hungry.

Professor X and Elijah left us to our own devices, deeming we needed time to understand the seriousness of the situation. There was something they weren't telling us, and if it was any other time it would be pestering me every waking hour, but I had more important things on my mind.

How the hell was Isaac alive?

That question alone was a whirl wind of puzzlement. I had watched him disappear under the water, I had watched the bubbles cease to exist. I ran away. The only explanation I had was that he had resurfaced after I went to get Mom, but then why did the paramedics say they'd found a body? Or more importantly, why didn't Isaac come home?

I didn't want to force questions on him, he may have looked content then, but if asked too many questions he might have had a fit. Professor X warned me to give him time, saying he'd been through a lot in the last six years, and he didn't truly know the full extent of his suffering.

"Are you going to eat that?" Isaac asked, eyeing up my plate of chips. I shook my head and slid the plate over to him, he smiled thankfully and dug into the well cooked sticks. I smiled tightly, dropping the fork and resting my arms tiredly on the table.

I had no idea what the time was, but by looking at the window I concluded it must have been around midnight as it was pitch black. I yawned, denying my body sleep as I made sure Isaac wasn't going to disappear if I closed my eyes.

His hair was still greasy, but I'd elected to give him some clean clothes after Dr Grey had checked him over. She basically said he needed food, preferably a shower, and a long sleep. The shower was daunting, I didn't want Isaac having an episode, that was if he still had his phobia.

"Are you sure you're okay with staying in my friends' dorm?" I asked him, making sure he was positive. He looked up at me, big blue eyes glistening. He nodded his head sharply, before shoving three whole chips into his mouth.

"I'm not a kid anymore, I know I can't bunk in with my sister. They do know I'm staying with them, right?" He asked, to which I shifted in the chair. The answer was they didn't, not yet, but Professor X stated that if they didn't agree he could always just stay with me.

If I was still with Johanna, then him being with me wouldn't have been an issue, however I hadn't known Kitty more than a day, and I was sure she'd find it unnerving with Isaac around. If I trusted Isaac with anyone, it was Bobby and John. John knew our past, he knew how much it effected me, so I hoped he knew how hard it was for me to leave him with people he didn't even know.

I sighed groggily into my hands, barely able to keep my eyes open.

"How old are you?" Isaac asked inquisitively, to which I dropped my hands and stared at him. He had already finished the chips, and he didn't look remotely full, but it seemed he had learnt manners from wherever he had been and didn't ask for anymore food.

"Sixteen, why?" I asked truthfully, Isaac's eyes bulging at the age.

_What did they do to you? _

The question pained me. Isaac refused to talk about the labs, I resulted to asking Elijah about them when Isaac went to the canteen with Dr Grey to get food. He was vague on the subject, saying that what was known was that it was a lab which tested on mutants, learning their genetics and so forth. It broke me when I imagined what they must had done to him for six years, and that whole time, I thought he was dead.

"That makes me twelve, and I didn't even know..." He mumbled, his own age surprising him. I guess time in the labs distorted itself, he obviously didn't know so much time had passed. When he actually figured out his age it also dawned on me, every time I looked at him I just saw the six year old boy screaming in the lake, now, I saw the same boy six years later, only it wasn't truly the same person.

Even what I imagined him going through, the shattered mind that dwelled inside his head, I thought he'd be more broken. Truth be told, if it wasn't for his thin figure and greasy hair, he would've passed as a normal teen.

"It's been six years Isaac, six long _painful_ years." I countered, chuckling at the surrealness of it. Isaac didn't see the funny side, casting his eyes to the table as they were glowing in distance. The tension on the air was suffocating, nonetheless we tried reliving our bond six years ago, if there was a bond there to begin with.

"How's Mom?" He asked after the silence became deafening. I bit my lip, what exactly was I supposed to say?

"She's...better, better than she's been in years." I lied, because I honestly didn't know how she was doing myself. She could be dead for all I knew. He smiled nonetheless, relief shining on his face because he believed his supposed death hadn't caused too much heartache.

He seemed so much more open towards the world, emotions he didn't know in his innocence, but whoever had captured him had taken that innocence.

"You all done?" Isaac nodded his head, so I stood up and cleared away all the plates. Isaac followed behind me, offering to continue talking to me in the kitchen. I turned the offer down, telling him to sit and relax at the table, he did obey but I could tell that every part of him didn't want to.

I twisted the hot tap on in the canteen's kitchen, letting it fill up the sink as I leaned against a counter, exhaling loudly. This was difficult. It was bad enough having to tell him all the things he had missed gossip wise, but lying to him about Mom was hardest of all.

"It's only temporary, give him time to prepare for the truth." I told myself, gripping the counter top sharply with my nails. The heated fog rising from the tap told me the sink was filled, I went to turn it off, only for Elijah to turn it off for me. He smiled, the mild jealously I saw before now gone.

"Thought you might need help?" He whispered, sympathy in his dark eyes. I contemplated for a moment, then shook my head slowly, hearing my skull rattle inside (figuratively).

"No I can handle Isaac, I had to for ten years." I declined through a yawn.

"That's not what I meant. Finding out someone you thought dead is alive...it could break anyone." He said softly, as if talking from experience.

My body betrayed me as all the air I had stored from the excessive inhaling and exhaling suddenly deserted me like I was a balloon being deflated. My shoulders sunk, my legs shaking so I had to grip the countertop extra tightly.

"Is it cruel to wish he'd stayed dead? To not go through all that crap in the labs?" I asked honestly, because whenever I thought it, I felt like a monster. He shook his head, understanding what I was trying to say.

"No it's not wrong, to have a quick painless death is better than years of suffering." He said forcefully, but I didn't truly know the emotion behind those words. When Elijah spoke the sentence, he realised why he had forgiven the Nazis all those years ago. Yes it was barbaric and inhuman what they did to his family, it was heartless, but the ones that survived had to remember the event, which was so much worse in his eyes.

"That's true. Once I'm done here I'll be taking him to bed anyway, that is if my friends agree to look after him in their dorm." I dearly hoped they would, but if they didn't I think I could talk them round.

Elijah took it upon himself that if Allerdyce and Drake didn't agree, then he would talk Charles into giving the two siblings a room together.

"They likely will, they know how important it is to you." He replied warmly, before saying a quick goodbye as he disappeared with his grey smoke. I rolled my eyes, he could have least walked out the room before teleporting, because I kept coughing over the smoke as it tickled my throat.

"What are you doing in there?" Isaac shouted, stalking my every move. I sighed, he was still the clingy brother I remembered, but I was glad of it.

"None of your business. Actually, come in here and help me dry up." I ordered, hearing him moan which brought a smile to my face. He stumbled inside with a pout on his face, grabbing a tea towel aggressively. He stood beside me like when we were younger when I made him help with my chores, only this time we were both a lot taller, saying that, Isaac wasn't far off my height.

"Can't believe you're making me do this..." He mumbled, grabbing a freshly washed plate, water dripping to the floor with a patter.

"You gotta earn your keep somehow, Professor X expects something from you if he gives you something, mainly safety." I countered, Isaac grumbling at it. I rolled my eyes, I always thought he'd be one of those lazy teenagers who moaned whenever they were told to lift a finger.

Luckily he wasn't at the rebel stage, swirling the tea towel all over the plate. The heat radiating from the water seared by skin, but I kept them under as the sizzling kept me awake. The water that collected on the floor began to irritate me, I don't know how to explain the sensation, an itching feeling in my gut to use my ability. I refused to fall for the siren like call, I had to prove I was stronger than that, mainly to myself.

_I need to learn control, like Professor X is always lecturing us, or else we'll lose ourselves..._

I focused on in my head, ignoring the tantalising sound of the water dripping onto the floor, like it does on concrete in the pouring rain. This new found addiction surprised me, after all, the last time I had such an obsession was when I first started to realise the mutation, but I promised I would learn control.

Thankfully Isaac didn't notice my brief loss of self-control, still grumbling as he washed up another lot of plates, placing them on the metal rack.

I really wasn't looking forward to dumping him on John and Bobby, but I would have to face the music eventually. But for now, I cherished the moment, because I knew how easily it could slip away.

* * *

"You _kissed_ her...that's what all this sulking is about?" Bobby exclaimed, finally getting to the source of John's grumbling. He wasn't normally so hostile, but since the two had been arguing over John's constant sour face for nearly a week, he was more than a little annoyed.

John was lay across the couch, head resting on the arm of it as he stared at the ceiling. At that point he wanted to shove one of his socks in Bobby's mouth, anything to make him shut up, keeping him awake to about one in the morning still going on about how he was depressed. He wasn't depressed, he wanted _sleep_.

"I'm not _sulking_! Do I look like a child to you?" The rhetorical question was met with Bobby raising an eyebrow, John scowled, warning Bobby not to comment. He wasn't sulking, he was _patiently_ waiting for her acceptance, that is, if she actually did. He hadn't made much of an effort himself granted, carrying on as normal, or as normal as they could be, but that was only because he wanted to clear the air before she made a decision.

He didn't _love_ her exactly, without trying to sound cruel, but there was no denying they shared something that was more than friendship. He didn't know when he started seeing her in _that_ sense, possibly around the time he had jokingly kissed her to wake her up on the bus. Whatever it was, it was complicated, and nosy Bobby wasn't helping.

"So, are you two going out then?" Bobby asked curiously, no longer pacing the length of the couch as he had been doing for the past couple of hours, piercing slowly through John's wall. John shifted his head to look at his friend, seeing that there was a glimmer of hope in his eyes that he would say yes. John licked his lips, then proceeded to stare at the blank-screened TV behind Bobby.

"Could you scoot, you're blocking the TV."

"_John_." Bobby said forcefully, stating that he wasn't playing his games. John groaned internally, why was Bobby suddenly so stubborn?

"Not yet, as far as I know." He replied, admitting defeat with a wave of his hands. He seriously wanted his lighter, just the sensation of the cold metal in his fingers to calm him, but Bobby was being a dick and hid it in his pocket until John told him the truth.

"What do you mean, 'as far as I know'? Did she reject you or not?" He really wasn't going to take no for an answer, which was beginning to piss him off.

"_I don't know_, she kissed me back quickly, but rushed off to say sorry to her friend. So far she hasn't said yes or no, so I'm waiting until she's got an answer. You done quizzing me now?" John said sarcastically, glaring at Bobby who wore a clearly infuriated look. He couldn't deny that John had told him the truth, and he did answer his questions eventually. He sighed, walking over to the couch to sit down, feeling tired.

"Could you move over?" He asked John politely, only to be met with a negative response.

"Fuck off and find your own couch."

He was joking, Bobby knew even if his face resembled a serious expression. He did drop his feet to the floor, sitting up as Bobby quickly grabbed the now free space in case John decided to change his mind.

"You don't have to be so hostile about it." Bobby mumbled, John rubbing his eyes as he scoffed.

"Don't interrogate me for four hours." He grumbled, reaching to grab the TV remote, too awake to fall asleep. Bobby agreed to stay up, even if he wasn't given a choice as John turned up the volume staggeringly loud.

"Hey can I have my lighter back? Pretty please?" John pouted, back in his banter mode as the subject moved away from Sam. Bobby stood his ground, but eventually fell for it, handing over John's lighter. He flipped it open and let the flame burn for a second before shutting it and stuffing it into his pocket.

No sooner had John switched on a program they both liked, there were three knocks at the front door. Bobby and John shared a glance at each other, confused, who would knock at one in the morning?

"Don't look at me, I'm not getting it." John said, turning his attention back to the TV. Bobby tried to leave it too, but three more urgent knocks made his fingers tingle. After the third lot of knocks, he stood up and opened the door sharply. His original angered face softened as a sheepish Sam stood in front of him, looking pale.

"Sam? What are you-" He didn't finish as a younger boy, around eleven, peaked is head from behind her. Bobby's eyebrows creased, Sam smiling meekly.

"Is this the snowman?" The boy asked innocently, giving Bobby a once over. Bobby was never one for swearing, but his whole mind just thought up three words.

_What the _fuck_? _

"It's _Iceman_, and his name's Bobby." Sam replied to the boy, rather annoyed at him for speaking. The boy shrugged his shoulders, but seemed wary of the stranger.

"I know its late, and I probably just woke you guys up. Can we come in, please?" She pleaded, looking exhausted herself. Bobby stood perplexed for a moment, before glancing over at John who had shot off the couch as he heard Sam's voice, clearly excited and fearful to see her.

"No problem, come in." Bobby invited, moving to the side so Sam and the boy could walk past him. Even though his nose wasn't all that sensitive, the boy did have a stench to him, but he tried to ignore it as he shut the door.

Sam walked over to John, who was stood up behind the couch. They shared eye contact for what seemed like forever, both wearing blank expressions.

"John, Bobby...this is my brother, Isaac." She croaked, eyes transfixed on John. Bobby had no idea what was going on, unable to understand the connection John and Sam were having. John took a step forward, looking between the boy and Sam, trying to piece together what she was implying.

"But you said..." He trailed off, and Bobby saw for the first time, that John Allerdyce was speechless. The boy, Isaac, stepped around Sam and again gave John a once over, immediately seeing something between his sister and John.

"Yeah about that...turns out he was alive all along." Sam replied with a hollow chuckle, shrugging her shoulders as if she didn't really know what was happening herself.

"Hi." Isaac greeted sheepishly, waving his hand to John under a long black t-shirt. John was still processing everything, but made the effort to wave back awkwardly, Isaac squinting at him, thinking he'd seen him before somewhere.

"It'll only be for a little while, I promise he won't be a bother." She stuttered swiftly, John slowing her down by raising his hands.

"Whoa, what do you mean 'for a little while'? Is the kid staying with us?" He exclaimed, looking over at Bobby for support who had slinked into the centre of the room, no wall able to comfort him as everyone stared at him.

"It's a bit, inconvenient...but it should be okay, right _John_?" Bobby made sure he put extra empathise on his name, a _subtle_ hint that if he wanted Sam to like him he needed to help her out. Bobby wasn't trying to fool himself, he was terrible when it came to girls, but he knew kindness paid off.

Unfortunately, John seemed deaf to his hint and argued.

"Sure, of course it's okay, you know what, let's invite Bobby's brother to stay with us too." He exclaimed sarcastically, Sam glaring at him briefly before shaking her head. Bobby face-palmed, he honestly didn't know how he had got Sam to like him, or himself for that matter.

"John, please. I wouldn't ask unless I had nothing else, and you know about...what happened. Can you stop being a jerk for five goddamn minutes and help your girlfriend out."

* * *

If it wasn't for the tension in the room, and the look John was giving me...I would have laughed in his face. His expression was priceless, a mixture of horror, surprise and what I believed to be mild relief.

Admittedly, it was a slip up, a _big_ slip up. And what was worse was that Isaac had burst out laughing, gripping his sides because he laughed so much. I practically death glared him, to which he tried to shut himself up.

"What? I feel sorry for him, you've always been the stubborn one." He argued, to which John smirked at Isaac. He pointed at him as his smirk grew longer.

"I like him." He stated, giving me a little wink. "He can stay for a little while." He concluded, with me smiling in appreciation. I was thankful he agreed, even after the embarrassing slip up he still remained to be calm.

"He couldn't use your shower, could he?" I asked awkwardly, there not being an explanation for the reasoning. It was Bobby that answered this time, pointing his hand towards the bathroom door.

"Sure, it takes a while to warm up though."

"Thanks, I don't know what I'd do without you two." I spoke truthfully, escorting Isaac to the bathroom. I could feel John's eyes watching me intently, still trying to work out how Isaac was alive and why I had said girlfriend. I would have to explain myself later, I knew that straight away, but for now I only concentrated on Isaac.

"Thanks again, I owe you." I told Bobby and John before closing the bathroom door, seeing smiles on their faces.

_ Okay, this is going to be interesting..._

I thought as Isaac stared at the bathtub, obviously reminiscing when he would scream and claw out of the bath every time me or Mom put him in. I sighed, I remembered being too impatient, fed up with the struggle that would last for hours, then again I was still a child myself.

"I think a shower would be better anyway." I said with forced normality, going to grab the long cord that was connected to the shower's mainframe.

"No, I want to have a bath." Isaac replied forcefully, tugging my non-raised hand to stop me. I looked at him, and saw the hard determination in his eyes. He couldn't, I know he couldn't, not after the lake. If he was trying to prove he wasn't afraid, this wasn't the way to do it.

"You don't have to prove anything, not to me, it's okay to just have a shower." I tried to reason, but Isaac shook his head.

"I _want_ a bath, I need to show you something." He raised his voice, and I could tell there was no changing his mind.

Reluctantly I shoved the plug in the plug hole and twisted the hot tap on. As Bobby had said it took a while to warm up, but the steady heated fog began spiralling off the filling water.

Slowly Isaac stripped from his clothes, something I found awkward even though he used to do it when we were younger. Either way I looked away as masses of bruises and protruding scars appeared on his back, I tried not to think what they had done to inflict such marks, and it seemed Isaac was also embarrassed by the scars.

"Okay, I think its ready." I sighed awkwardly, turning off the tap. I stared at the ceiling as Isaac hopped in, lowering himself slowly, inhaling gulps of air. Luckily I had poured in a little trickle of bubbles bath, the bubbles covered his genital area, which was less awkward for both of us.

Without warning, Isaac leaned backwards and lowered his head under the water before I could protest. I was about to lift him up, but stopped as gills grew out of his neck, bubbles pouring out of his now open mouth.

He smiled at me through the bubbles, and all I could do was laugh at the sight. The gills glistened in the water like mermaid scales, the ocean blue colour dazzling in the overhead light. His smile grew bigger when I laughed in awe, the gills protruding out of his neck flapping under the water happily.

"All those times you fought me, and you could breathe under water the _whole_ time!" I exclaimed, but it was more humour than anger. Somehow Isaac had heard me, so pulled his head out of the water to argue at me. The gills squelched back into his neck, completely invisible in seconds.

"I didn't know! Not until the lake, even then it took ages to realise." He protested, quite content when he was submerged in water. The initial shock of Isaac being alive wore off a lot quicker than I had thought, in fact, we seemed more connected then we ever did at home.

"I think Mom knew, or at least she was guessing...is that why dad left? Because of me?" He asked, bowing his head as not look me in the eyes. I sighed, the man could still poison our heads when he was nowhere near us. Crouching next to the tub, I brushed Isaac's greasy hair out of his eyes, and I saw how he blamed himself.

"Dad left because he cared more about eradicating mutants than he ever did about us." I told him forcefully, looking straight into his eyes, still brushing his hair.

"But all those stories you told me as we were growing up, how he was a hero." He persisted, and I knew I couldn't lie to him anymore.

"That's it though, they _were_ just stories so you wouldn't know the truth. I didn't want to lie, but if it makes you feel any better I wanted to believe them too, pretend he was a hero." I said, shrugging my shoulders nonchalantly. He still didn't seem convinced, apparently blaming ourselves was a trait we shared, not all that surprising considering how we were brought up.

"Isaac you're twice the man Dad will ever be, you came back from the _dead_, you suffered in the labs, and yet you're still not messed up. He was wrong, mutants aren't dangerous, and the only reason some of us are is because humanity is forcing us to. I may have been a bitch to you when we were younger, but after you died, I wished _anything_ to trade places with you. You're always going to be my little brother, no matter what, and I promise I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe, take on an army if I have to." I promised, still brushing away the stray strands over his face so I could see his eyes. He was fighting back tears, that was clear enough as they glistened.

"I wish I could do something to change-" He stopped himself, unknown to me that he nearly slipped up and was about to tell me about the future. I thought he was just talking about the lake, and smiled warmly at him, wanting us to get past it.

"What was done was done, we can't change it, we can only learn from it." I murmured, reusing what Elijah said to me in the library a month ago. Isaac didn't seem convinced, so many things on his mind that he couldn't tell me, but he played along, for my sake.

"I guess so." He replied simply, in case his tongue betrayed him a second time.

"If you're going to be okay here, I need to talk to Bobby and John." I said through the millionth yawn, Isaac nodded his head, this was likely the first time I was able to leave him bathe on his own, which was surreal in its-self.

As said, I left him to wash himself clean, walking back into the main room where Bobby and John sat on the couch. Their heads popped up as I walked back in, quickly wanting answers as to why they had my brother in their bathroom. I inhaled, closing my eyes briefly before going to stand in front of the two boys, the TV (now switched off) behind me

"Ask away..." I sighed, signalling whatever questions they had I was willing to answer. John spoke first, though I think Bobby was the most confused, he didn't even know I had a brother.

"How is he alive?" John asked simply, still trying to contemplate why I had said girlfriend, but was slightly more interested why a supposed dead boy was in his dorm.

"Turns out, he's mutant too...gills." I motioned to my neck area, pinpointing where Isaac's gills had appeared. That answered two of their questions apparently as they made identical dawnment faces.

"How'd he get here? Where's he been all this time?" John asked again, not even giving Bobby time to think of his own question let alone say it.

I crossed my arms over my chest, needing something to do as my fingers felt tingly, wanting to bite at my nails just to stop the anxiety.

"Professor X said he just knew where to go, he knew it was a school for mutants. The other question, all I know is it was a lab, I don't know where it was or what they did but...it must have been some messed up shit." I swore, but honestly that was the only way I could describe it after I witnessed Isaac's scars.

"Am I missing something? Since when do you have a brother?" Bobby finally asked as silence filled the room, John rolled his eyes.

"Keep up Bobby, we're _way_ past that." He replied sarcastically, but didn't say nothing more as I glared at him.

I told Bobby about Mom and Dad, the lake, even the little details such as the hospital afterwards and how the authorities said they'd found a body. The whole time Bobby grew paler and paler, clearly not liking the tale, but I was glad that he knew the full story too. John also listened, but seeing as he had gotten the full version instead of the shortened one, he only paid attention a little unless it was something I hadn't told him before.

"Damn...if I'd known about it-" Bobby shook his pale face, I smiled as best I could.

"Just because you didn't know my backstory, doesn't mean you didn't helped me get passed it." I said gratefully, to which Bobby smiled tightly, though he was still pale with patches of normal pinkish skin.

"I don't want to dump him on you, believe me, but it's just until Professor X can make something permanent." I insisted, not bothering to add that he'd be a _good boy_, I highly doubted that, and part of me believed him and John would clash.

"It's fine, from what you've said, I wish we could do more." Bobby said, standing up and moving around the couch.

"I'll go grab some of my old clothes I don't wear anymore, I'm sure I've got some lying around." He offered, to which I thanked him gratefully. I knew Bobby and lying around likely meant folded up somewhere in the bottom of his wardrobe. When he shut his bedroom door, I dropped the fine facade and slumped onto the couch next to John. He chuckled at my disheveled sight, way past the point of exhaustion and onto shut down mode.

"Strange day?" He quipped, gripping the arm of the couch softly. I rubbed my eyes, the light burning away my pupils.

"You have _no_ idea...but it's a good strange." I replied in a groan, using it as an excuse to lean onto John's shoulder. He stiffened for a moment, then let his body slouch once the surprise passed. I must admit a smirk crawled involuntarily onto my face, the great _Pyro_ unnerved by me resting on his shoulder.

"So...are we going to talk about it?" He asked after the silence became deafening. I faked ignorance, feeling somewhat playful, possibly due to Isaac's childish nature rubbing off on me.

"Talk about what?"

"Don't be dumb, it doesn't suit you. I mean the slip up." He grumbled, clearly not in the mood to play.

_Spoilsport... _

"You wanted an answer, I gave you one." I replied flatly, nuzzling my head into his neck to get comfy, but he still remained moderately stiff.

"You really want to do this, with _me_? The pyromaniac?" He questioned quizzically, hearing him use the technical term was quite painful to hear. Fair enough, that's what most students called him, but he wasn't really a pyromaniac, just someone who could loose their anger if provoked.

"Why wouldn't I? John, I've trusted you more than Johanna or Professor X, I'm trusting you with Isaac. If I wasn't interested, I wouldn't have dragged you along, not saying anything. If things go wrong, screw it, high school is the best time to make mistakes so you don't make the same ones again." I reasoned, grabbing his hand gently, him complying and intwining it with mine.

"So I'm a mistake then?" He muttered, misinterpreting what I was trying to say.

"No that's not what I meant." I replied forcefully, but I could feel John didn't believe me, very faintly trying to shrug me off his shoulder.

He seemed unsure himself, that wall that I thought was crumbling was still standing strong. I wondered why, I knew he didn't trust people, when it came to feelings anyway, but it was something else.

"You kissed me first remember." I reminded him, shifting my head to look at the side of his face. He was staring off into nothing, brown eyes darker than normal, I could hear his other hand scraping against the arm of the couch.

"I shouldn't've, I should've left things how they were and not made them complicated." He seethed, and it was starting to worry me.

"John?" I said faintly, the worry crackling my voice. His eyes softened, looking at me briefly before smirking. I felt his hand twist and a ticklish feeling as his fingers brushed against my palm.

"Sure you can handle me?" He said playfully. For a brief second I did wonder, after the tiny creepy moment, but I smiled at him with a wickedness in my eyes.

"I have for ages now, what's changed?"

It was a rhetorical question, but John answered it anyway, which surprised me as to how serious he was.

"Everything."

He leaned in and kissed me, but this time I was ready, and met him half way. The faint heat I had felt in Central Park returned, proving that it was John's mutation. I liked it. It wasn't stifling thar it was irritating, but it was easily recognised as a temperature rise.

He squeezed my hand, I don't know why he did, but it was sort of comforting, like a gentle hint that he wasn't going to abandon me...as he said in Central Park. I used my free hand to place it against his face, my fingers tingling with his radiating warmth.

Neither of us heard Bobby's door open, nor did we see the smile that crossed his face as he saw us on the couch. Feeling somewhat perverted, he closed the door again, realising that he was now trapped in his own room, too nice to ruin the moment.

_John, you're one lucky barstard, I hope you know that..._

* * *

I knew...I knew I had seen him before. I opened my eyes, my gills flapping in the water. As much as I hated forcing the dreams upon myself, I had to be certain, for Sammy's sake.

What I had witnessed, sickened me to my stomach. John, or _Pyro_ setting a building aflame with protesters showered with the sizzling ashes. The protest was about the cure, so it would be made, but I couldn't tell just how far along in the future the dream was.

Either way, I couldn't let Sammy get hurt, not by him.

I pulled my body out of the weightless water, gripping the two metal bars tightly on either side of the tub, my knuckles whitening. The gills as usual disappeared once I was no longer submerged, but it didn't bother me anyway, I was used to using water as an escape route.

I didn't bother trying to dry my now clean hair, nor did I brush it, quickly pulling the clothes Sammy had given me back on. I rushed everything on so quickly, one of my shoulders protruded from the neck opening, the one sleeve hiding my hand as the other came to my wrist.

I didn't care, I just had to keep Pyro and Sam apart, even if it would hurt her.

_Not as much as I'll hurt him if he tries anything, the traitor... _

I thought savagely, turning the door handle as quietly as possible (even with my sudden rage), I was about to say something, but was horrified as I saw the two on the couch, _kissing_.

It seemed pretty innocent, her head leaning on his shoulder so he had to kiss her at an awkward angle. One of her hands rested on his face, but I could clearly make out a smirk in between her fingers, being this spite or not, it reminded me of the smirk he had worn in my dream.

Swallowing down vomit, I quickly shut the door again. I cursed in my head over and over , slithering to the floor as I gripped my newly washed hair in my fingers, continually cursing myself.

_Why didn't I come here sooner!? I could've stopped this! _

I screamed, but there was no denying, they were together much to my grimace. I only hoped Pyro had at least the littlest of decency to not break her heart...ha...by what I saw, he didn't know the meaning of the word _decency_.

* * *

**Ive been waiting to upload this for so long! And finally it's up, that wasn't too cheesy was it? I don't know, I've mentioned romance isn't my thing. **

**In regards to future chapters, its going to take a drastic turn from here, I'm not going to spoil anything, but be prepared for a few changes.**

**I can't wait now!**

**until then,**

**~GothGirlStrikesagain**


	12. Remind me who I am

**I went there. I actually went there. You'll know what I'm talking about once you've read it.**

**Either way, this kinda opens a new chapter for Sam and I hope it's portrayed okay.**

**i know I'm bombarding you guys with chapters at the moment, but I've had so much time to write and this is my last couple of days before I go back to school (which means I won't have much time to write) I'm just going to upload them at unset times for now, this will likely be the last one for a couple of days.**

**thank you spirit kiss and tiger mutant for the reviews again, really out a smile on my face as they always do, and I'm glad you think the romance wasn't too terrible XD**

**I've finally watched X-men! And now I realise the big error I've made, Logan isn't a teacher yet XD I'll likely come up with something to mask that detail, because I've decided to use the films now I have them to watch. cant wait to watch the second one, likely because of Pyro, I know he's briefly seen a couple of times in the first one, but, I do prefer Aaron Stanford even though the other actor didn't get much screen time to portray the character. It was awesome to finally watch it, strangely enough I liked Toad, but the bird scene...i like animals :(**

**thank you so much for the support, it's truly amazing what you people have done.**

**disclaimer:I only own OCs.**

**with that done, on with the chapter...**

* * *

_So what if you can see the darkest side of me?_

_No one will ever change this animal I have become,_

_Help me believe it's not the real me,_

_Somebody help me tame this animal I have become,_

_Help me believe it's not the real me,_

_Somebody help me tame this animal,_

_Three Days Grace ~ Animal I have become_

* * *

"Hey bitch!"

_Not now, I really don't need this now..._

I knew Johanna's voice from a mile away, her pissed off form storming towards me as I secured another book in its right place. Isaac was receiving extra tutoring from Elijah, seeing as he couldn't enrol in the school until the beginning of term, and I was grateful because it meant I had free time away from him for a while. I didn't want to sound horrible, but it was suffocating with him around again, like when we were children, he hadn't truly grown out of following me around.

Apparently Elijah trusted me to run the library during my punishment time, which at first I thought he was joking, then again, this was Elijah who I doubted had a sense of humour. Still, I knew he was up to something with Professor X, and whenever I tried to bring up anything about the subject he would change it, no matter how hard I pushed.

"Johanna I really don't need this now, I'm sorry okay, I'm sorry for what I said." I whined, tiredness and irritation attacking me as she stood next to me with her arms crossed. She glared at me, I tried to ignore by pretending to put more books away.

"Funny, I recall _someone _stating _sorry doesn't change anything_." She uttered, following me around as I put more books away. The sentence hurt, because I remembered it was me that had said it, and I wished I could take it back.

"Look" I said, whipping around to look directly at her, the last book in my left hand "I get it, you're still pissed and you have every right to be. I know rumours have spread that my brother is here, they're true, and you confronting me isn't the best thing I need right now." I spoke honestly, the glare never faulting on her face. I could see that her mind was ticking over about Isaac, and there was a glimmer of sympathy, but it quickly disappeared after she remembered why she was there.

"I'm not pissed about that, David dumped me, because he talked to _you_." She shrilled, and I honestly gulped in panic. Even though she had never used her telepathy to hurt anyone, I bet she could do real damage if she set her mind to it, no pun intended.

Sighing, I put the last book in the slot, noticing that it was the exact same book Elijah had given me when John and I had done homework. That seemed _far _away. We still technically hadn't gone _publicly _with it just yet, only Bobby knew, and I assumed Isaac did as well as he was always being shifty when John's around. There was something Isaac wasn't telling me, hell, there was a lot of things he wasn't telling me, but recently he's been wary of John, and I couldn't understand why.

"He told me he was gay and he just wanted some advice on how to tell you. You can hate me all you like, but you can't make a gay man straight, even with her suggestion mutation." I told her firmly, walking towards the desk where my Dad's old journal was still kept out of sight. I refused to look through it again, Elijah didn't even tell me how he came to have it, nor would Professor X, and I desperately wanted to know what they were hiding.

"I never said I hated you." She stated, storming towards me again as I shimmied behind the desk.

_Calling me a bitch isn't exactly friendly..._

I was tempted to say it aloud, but firmly kept my mouth shut. I looked up, to see there was a gigantic grin on her face, one that surprised me into speechlessness. She squealed then hugged me tightly, almost causing me friction burns on my stomach as she pulled me over the desk. Fair to say I had no idea what was going on.

"You take everything so seriously Sam, you're too cute to stay mad at." She giggled, hugging me tighter. I stiffened awkwardly, seriously questioning whether she'd finally lost it. Eventually after my ribs were broken, she let me go, the smile still on her tanned face.

"Before he dumped me he told me to give you a second chance, I said no, but then rumours went round about your brother and...I knew you needed your friends around more than ever." She explained, there was a flicker of anger, but I could see she was trying to mask it by keeping the perfect smile.

"I owe him one, but I shouldn't of said those things, I didn't mean them." I lied, I meant every word, but to say them out loud was the wrong thing to do. She wavered it away as if it were nothing, and I realised why she was my friend for so long, because she always bounced back no matter what was said or done.

"I know you meant them, and honestly they were a wake up call, I need to stop being selfish and think about how people aren't as fortunate as me. Anyway, you've got a little brother to look after now, that's gonna be a handful." She whistled, empathising her point. That we agreed on, it had only been three weeks and already I was questioning my sanity, mainly because I forgot what proper exhaustion felt like.

I wouldn't normally sleep at night because my mind was buzzing with different dilemmas that had cropt up up. To name a few would be what Professor X was hiding, how Elijah was involved, what was the stuff in my Dad's journal, what had happened to Isaac in six years (mostly details) and to top it off, we had a combat exam at the end of the week. If it wasn't bad enough we were doing a verses exam, it was going to be formally marked as we were in the virtual room, meaning it could be based on any terrain imaginable, which would suck for me if there wasn't any water.

"He's not as bad as when we were younger, he's grown up, something I never thought would disappoint me." I spoke truthfully, leaning my elbows on the desk, wondering why time passed by so quickly. She copied me, a wicked smirk on her face that was centimetres away from mine, she pouted at me, making me smile.

"You're coming out with me tonight, it's Friday, let's go wreck up New York!" She exclaimed, banging a beat on the desk as she stood straight again. I howled, the banging sending a jolt of a migraine along my forehead.

"Not trying to stir up the past, but I don't really want to go anywhere...after last time." I hissed through the pain on my forehead, having to pinch my nose to try and defuse it. The pain wasn't direct at my forehead, it felt strange, like one spurred on from dehydration, a slight pounding in my head.

"I know its a bit awkward, but I promise, I've been to this place before and there's not going to be any trouble." She said forcefully, using a single finger to make an imaginary cross over her heart.

"Cross my heart." She promised, egging me on with puppy dog eyes. I tried not to smile, but my lips strained with the effort, the tiniest smirk quivering onto my face. In the end it wasn't enough and I burst into fits of giggles as she stuck out her tongue at me.

"Fine, but what am I going to do with Isaac?" I asked her, mainly because I had no idea. I didn't want to abandon him already, and it felt cruel going out without him. She pursed her lips, thinking of what I could possibly do with a twelve year old brother.

"He can come with us too, it's not like a proper nightclub, I've seen kids around his age go in there too. I know, why don't we make it a proper friends night out and invite a few other people." She decreed, proud of herself for coming up with the idea. I liked it, I of course had people in mind that I knew Isaac liked, but it was a question whether Johanna would agree.

"He likes Bobby, and Kitty met him a few days ago and they got on."

There was also one other person, but Isaac always seemed different when he was around, and also Johanna practically hated him.

"Can John come?" I asked, hoping she'd say yes. Johanna quirked an eyebrow, obviously praying I wouldn't ask. She skived, nodding her head with a sigh.

"Can't believe I'm saying this, but yeah, the jerk can come." She agreed, to which I smiled gratefully. Johanna hugged me one last time before saying she had to get ready. Thinking about it, I checked the time and realised Elijah's tutoring had gone over.

I waited behind the desk for about five minutes, the pounding in my head worsening the longer I remained in the spot, tapping a finger on the glazed oak surface. What was taking them so long? Was he already giving Isaac's test?

Involuntarily my mind rested on the swimming pool, seeing as I hadn't gone in the morning as I usually did, this being why my head was killing me. But I couldn't leave the library unsupervised, Elijah would actually kill me if he knew I had disobeyed him. however, the call of the calmed water was gradually making me uneasy.

_Nobody will come here this late, it wouldn't hurt going to the swimming pool..._

I convinced myself, grabbing my bag as I swiftly left the library, turning all the lights off in the process. The pulling of the water was becoming gradually harder to ignore, I had gone so long able to dowse the need, to be submerged every couple of days, now, I had to visit everyday in one way or another.

If it had been a few years ago, I would be in a blind panic, thinking that the need would turn into an obsession. Luckily my experience with my mutation meant I shoved the fear away, keeping enough control to quench the need but not to fall for it.

I hadn't gone to Professor X about it, one of the few things I didn't tell him, deeming it wasn't anything important. What could a harmless need do? It was just water, and as I told myself numerous times, I was in control.

It didn't take long to slip on a swimsuit, seeing as I now always had a spare one in my bag just in case I needed it. The swimming pool's main lights had been switched off, the only light being the small inner pool lights, illuminating the racing strips down the lengths of the pool. Feeling adventurous, I swan dived in, the impact of the water tantalising against my skin.

Unlike my usual placement at the bottom of the pool, I swam back to the surface and leaned my head back, keeping my hair submerged. It was replenishing as usual, sighing happily as the original tiredness that had clouded my senses now a distant dream, sparks of profound energy coursing through me. I closed my eyes, just letting the water keep me steady as if I was flying.

The energy grew stronger, unknown to me that it was also effecting the liquid around me. It swirled in new frantic patterns, silent but that was what made it predatory, as if it was communicating with every single liquid molecule.

I opened my eyes when rippling waves crashed against me, a confused look on my face as the waves grew larger and more chaotic. I had no power over what was happening, the water suddenly like a wild animal, unable to be tamed. The waves pushed me under, having to hold my breath as I struggled frantically, still having no clue as to what was going on.

_What are you doing?_

I asked as if the water had its own thought process and speech, what surprised me is I swear I could translate the swirling movements it created _into _speech.

_You have to tame us, you can wield us in powerful ways if you do so._

It seemed to answer, terrifying but also astonishing. It said I had to tame them, but how? There wasn't an instruction manual to control water! In answer to my rage, it became more ferocious, the non-solid water creature pulling me down to the bottom of the pool, forcing me into action.

_Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck! Why are you making me learn now?!_

I asked hysterically, the creature answering in more swirling sign language.

_The war is starting, the cure is being moulded, Isaac will witness the past being re-written from the future..._

Everything about the reply confused and frightened me, but the last part, it practically jolted a surge of energy through me. In an act of defiance I did as the water commanded, I had to tame it, force my legs free from the water creature's grip, I directed the energy into my hands and down my fingers.

_Think, what films have water-based characters that can control it? _

I resulted to fantasy, trying desperately to remember the exact film I had watched with Kitty a few days ago, the water shouting words of encouragement in my clogged ears.

_Lightening...something with lightening...Percy Jackson and the lightening thief! _

I yelled internally in victory, remembering the ending scene in which percy focused the water into a ball around Luke, maybe I could use the same technique in a different way. I closed my eyes, willing the untamed water to do as I commanded, outstretching my fingers as they elegantly twitched with the surging energy.

Before I even knew what had happened, my gasped in oxygen as a tight ball of snaring water collected at my bare feet, somehow holding my weight as I balanced atop the ball. I laughed in relief, before keeping my concentration as the water growled at me to stay focused. With one steady foot, I edged towards the safety of dry land, the water ball following my every step to keep me stable.

I hopped onto the cold floor, never being so satisfied out of the water. I let the energy go, the ball splashing into the calming water, falling silent within seconds. I myself collapsed onto my knees, shivering uncontrollably as everything was drained out of me.

"Sammy!" I looked up exhaustingly to witness as Isaac pounced on me with a hug, almost sending me straight back into the pool. He obviously didn't care about getting wet, snuggling his head into my neck.

I couldn't say anything, taking in deep gasping breaths, feeling as if I'd just been winded with a blow to the stomach. I heard a softer whizzing noise coming towards us, as I looked up, I made a perfect _oh shit _look as Professor X stared dumbstruck at me.

"Miss King what happened here?" He asked, quite perplexed at what he had seen. He hadn't seen the whole show, literally just as I stepped onto dry land as the ball meshed with the other liquid particles.

"Ask the water." I replied flatly, but Professor X didn't see the funny side of it, giving me a look I couldn't describe, but I knew I'd better explain myself and fast.

"I just wanted to go for a quick swim, then I don't know, the water started trying to pull me under. This sounds crazy, believe me, but it was like it was testing me, forcing me to use it in stranger ways." I told him through stutters and gasps, shaking my head stiffly as I knew it sounded crazy. He listened intently, still awestruck, but then asked me to do something I really didn't think could do.

"Can you please try it again, so I can see the full extent?" He asked tentatively, but to me it seemed more like an order. Gently unwrapping Isaac off me, I stood up and turned my body back to the water, hearing it hum happily as my attention was back on it.

_Why am I talking about it as if it's a living thing? It's just water..._

Yes, it was just water, but it seemed I wasn't _just _a water manipulator. Feeling the energy surge spark back through me towards my fingers, I again stretched out my arms and forced the water to shape into a sphere. As before, with much effort, it did as commanded and even raised itself above the swimming pool by a few centimetres.

"I've seen enough." Professor X stated, and there seemed to be a controlled anger in his tone. As he silently commanded, I let the energy stop abruptly, the water again plopping back into the rest of the water.

_You can do so much more..._

It seemed to tease me, nurturing my imagination into even more amazing achievements I could get if I kept practising. But then a part of me knew this was dangerous, wrong even, I shouldn't be this powerful.

"We need to discuss matters that we should have discussed when Mr King first arrived, I see that now, come with me." He commanded, seeming to be..._afraid? _This was bad, really, really bad. He twisted his wheelchair around and out the swimming pool, expecting both me and Isaac to follow.

I looked down to tell Isaac to follow me, but stopped immediately, his mouth open in surprise. He pointed at my hair, which perplexed me, he had grown up marvelling at the blue strands, and suddenly he couldn't take his eyes of them.

"Isaac what is it?" I asked worryingly.

"You're hair...it's _changing_!" He exclaimed, to which I answered by savagely pulling a non-blue strip towards my eye line. To my horror, he was right, it wasn't the same shade of blue, it seemed lighter but it was definitely blue.

_What the hell is happening to me?_

I screamed inside my head, scared by how much had happened in a couple of minutes. I flicked my hand away from the strand, it falling securely back into place. I gripped Isaac's hand and followed after Professor X, ready for answers no mater how much it would kill me, I was done with not knowing. Isaac stumbled behind me, still shocked by how my hair was changing.

Even though I couldn't see it, every single strand of what used to be black hair was changing into shades of blue and purple. The purple and dark blue fell near my face, the shades becoming lighter as the new colours moved towards the back of my head, the last blue being close to blonde.

I was angry, extremely angry that Professor X hadn't said anything sooner, he should have told us from the beginning. Even though I'd hate to admit it, I was starting to doubt him, doubting the school was safe for us. Isaac had just pranced in without any issues, a twelve year old kid (granted he was mutant too) could just walk into the school and no alarm went off!

_What is going on?_

* * *

Apparently we had an audience. When me (who had been allowed to change into a basic grey hoodie, black t-shirt and blue jeans) and Isaac stepped inside Professor X's office, we were met with multiple adults staring at us. Dr Grey, Dr McCoy, Professor Summers, Professor Munroe, Elijah...and of course the great Wolverine himself smoking a cigar. Most of them seemed apologetic for a reason unknown to us, only Logan looked as if he wanted to be somewhere that was more important.

"This way." Professor X ushered, wavering a hand towards a couple of unoccupied wooden chairs placed by Dr Grey and Professor Munroe, I let Isaac take the chair next to Dr Grey her warm smile seeming to comfort him. I sat next to Professor Monroe, her silver hair always a phenomenal sight, but clearly everyone was finding my recently changed hair more miraculous, which made me feel self-conscious, something I hadn't felt in awhile. Nonetheless, Professor Monroe seemed to empathise with my current situation, knowing how people stared at her abnormal hair, or when her eyes clouded with the purest white.

I noted where everyone was, I don't know why, maybe to calm my nerves. Professor Summers with his red visor scientific object that covered his eyes stood next to Dr McCoy, both of them close to the window that revealed the evening dusk of orange. Logan also stood, but he was closer to the escape door, obviously as soon as the _meeting _was over he could make a quick leave. Elijah stood beside Professor X, who as normal, sat behind his majestic desk.

"I requested everyone here, because I believe it will involve all of you." He spoke, reminding me of a general speaking to his soldiers before heading off into battle. Either way, it didn't sound remotely good.

"We have collected enough evidence to conclude that scientists are trying to create a cure for mutation, the detail on how far along or indeed successful this cure is is unknown, but we are certain that there is a lab testing on mutants." He spoke grimly, everyone giving him their full attention.

"We wouldn't know any of this if it wasn't for Mr and Miss King's contribution, for that we are grateful for you two being so trustworthy with us." He smiled warmly at Isaac, but when his eyes rested on me, I saw a strain on the old man's face. I involuntarily scoffed, causing everyone to look at me.

"You got a problem kid?" Logan grumbled at me, trying to blow the smoke of his cigar across the room to me, but it didn't work. I should've stayed quiet, to apologise and let Professor X continue. But the anger that had corrupted me only moments ago sparked again, moving my lips without my brain able to think.

"Nothing really, just it seems only trust goes one way here." I quipped, and found that everyone felt a sudden rise in tension. It seemed none of the adults expected me to answer back, most disappointed in me, believing I should be better than the Sam I was portraying, but at that moment I couldn't care what they thought of me.

Logan studied me, his whole form and posture scaring anybody shitless. He stepped forward slowly, still puffing on his cigar, everyone watching the confrontation and I was surprised no-one spoke up. He bent down, looking straight into my eyes as I glared at him. He puffed again, the smoke narrowly avoiding my face, but the faintest heat passed over me.

"Professor X saved you from whatever shithole you came from, show him some respect." He commanded with a seemingly average tone, but every single adult either gulped or shook their heads disapprovingly.

"Logan, that's enough." Professor X commanded softly, but it seemed Logan didn't want to listen as our staring contest continued. Again I couldn't hold my tongue, the rage growing the more he puffed on the damn cigar.

"Rich coming from you, tell me, do you have any respect for _anybody_ in this room?" I dared, Logan squinting his eyes, trying to stare into my soul.

"Scott is a hit and miss really, Gärtner I can share stories with from time to time, everyone else I can respect in one way or another...but you and squirt, sorry, you just seem like a brat to me." He answered, every word sending me closer to the point of exploding. I didn't think it was possible to raise the tension higher, but apparently it was as everyone tsked at Logan.

As he thought he had silenced me, he stood up with a tiny smirk and started walking back over to his spot by the door. That was it, I couldn't take it anymore. I stood up and straightened my back, spilling all the anger in two long sentences.

"And you're just a bully, picking on us just because we're afraid of you. You're no teacher, if anything you're just a grumpy fuck who doesn't give a crap about anybody else."

You know that moment, when someone gives you that _I want to chop you into little pieces and stuff you in an oven to cook and eat _look? Well, that was the exact look Logan gave me as he turned around. Fair to say I kept my evil glare until the sound of unsheathed metal flickered in my ears, then I saw a single metal spike protruding out of the centre of Logan's cigar-free hand. I physically gulped, knowing I'd way over done it on the insults.

"I'm getting tired of your sass _kid_." He growled, to which I took a step back, almost tripping over the chair.

"Enough!" Professor X scolded, the force of the tone making me sit back down. He looked the most disappointed in me, and momentarily I felt ashamed for speaking out. But the moment passed, and I did again, but to Professor X directly.

"Ever since the trip you've been keeping secrets from me, secrets I needed to know. You have no idea how it feels having the one person I trusted knowing about nearly my whole past not bothering to tell me that they had my Dad's journal, or even that my brother was alive! He turned up _hours _before you brought me to see him, hours I could have spent telling him the truth about what happened. Do you have any idea what it feels like to know my Dad can still ruin my life? And he's not even here!" I shouted, feeling the trickle of tears wet against my cheeks. The outburst was something that had been collecting in my head for ages, and it was the perfect moment to finally release it, even if I was now being glared at hatefully by everyone.

Strangely enough, Professor X let me rant, as if he knew he deserved the comments for keeping me in the dark so long. The room was silent for too long, no-one daring to speak, and I could feel Isaac's eyes gazing at me, but I didn't turn to look at him, fearing there would be fear in his eyes.

I shook my head, using my hands to wipe away the multiple tears that had escaped my eyes as I ranted. I bowed my head, noticing the many shades of blue in my hair through blurred vision, I sighed, I realised just how broken I really was.

"Everyone in this room as suffered way more than me, I know that. But I spent my first few years watching as my parents screamed at each other, I watched as my Dad pulled out of the driveway, leaving me with a few battered comics. I had to watch as my brother drowned right before my eyes, and I couldn't do anything to stop it. I had to watch as my Mom tried to kill herself, and then to be dragged away to some remote foster home because she couldn't even look at me. When I finally thought no-one would come, you did, and for the briefest of moments I thought I could finally fix myself...that I could trust someone." I choked on every sentence, finding the one about Mom trying to kill herself the hardest, because I knew she was in some psychiatric ward in Illinois. As I looked back on everything, all the crap that I had to soldier through, I realised, I had _never_ been allowed to be a child...not once.

"Honestly...I don't even know if I can trust anyone anymore." I finished, looking up to see everyone's faces. Elijah and Dr McCoy shared a seemingly disapproving look, mixed with perhaps a feeling that I was being selfish. Professor Summers' views I couldn't tell, but the stern expression I believed meant he also thought I was being selfish. Logan didn't give a crap. No change there. Dr Grey seemed slightly understanding, however her face tried not to show it. Professor Monroe appeared to be the most sympathetic, trying to comfort me with a little smile but her features were mainly ashen.

I couldn't even bring myself to look at Isaac.

Professor X, well, there was obvious disappointment, maybe a little apologetic and just to top it off, shame for not realising how I was actually feeling, no matter how many sessions we had over the nightmares, he still hardly knew me. He had been wrong. And whenever Professor X was wrong, it was worse than any apocalypse.

"Actually I don't even want to know what you brought us here for, I think I'll leave now." I sniffed, pushing out of the chair forcefully, attempting to leave. Before I could even reach the door handle, Logan stepped forward, preventing me from leaving.

"Move." I said through gritted teeth, glaring at him loathingly. He did not move, daring me to try again. I clenched my hands into fists, wondering if it were possible to drain him from all the water in his body, that is, if he was human enough to have water. He countered it by protruding the spike again, but it didn't faze me now.

"You _really _don't want to pick a fight with me kid, no matter how much gumption you got." He growled lowly, but I knew anyway that I wasn't going to try, not in close proximity anyway.

"Logan...let her go." Professor X sighed, sounding ancient. With a grunt, he did as he was told, like a dog obeying its master he moved out the way, allowing me to escape. I didn't say anything else, slamming the door behind me as I sprinted down the hall, deciding the night out was a good idea after all.

Isaac had stood up, attempting to follow me with agony in his eyes, but Dr Grey had gripped his arm, stopping him. Through heavy breaths, he turned to Professor X, tears collecting in his eyes as his dreams were again becoming true.

"I warned you, I _warned _you this would happen...and you didn't listen!" He yelled, realising he had the same amount of rage as me. But the rage subsided almost immediately as he sunk into Dr Grey's arms, crying uncontrollably.

He had let me go, and for that...he knew there would be a price.

* * *

**Yes, there is a tiny hint at days of future past, how could I refuse after that last trailer was released? It looks so cooooooolllll! **

**Im done with the fangirling now, but it looks super cool. I've kinda got the gist of where I'm sending the characters now, and I realise I might have to make a sequel if it's going to work, mainly because putting it in one whole story might not be the right thing to do, as this one is focusing on Sam and John's growing relationship.**

**hope you enjoyed, until next time,**

**~Gothgirlstrikesagain**


	13. Friday The Thirteenth

**now it begins! **

**Ive been waiting to upload this because, well, it's chapter 13 (unlucky number and all, but I don't actually believe that) and I wanted something drastic to happen, so here it is. and also because it's the last day of April.**

**Thanks to SuperNaturalxxFreak (I love that name XD) for the review, I'm also super excited for DOFP! I've been watching e little behind the scenes they've been releasing on Youtube, I just love the cast New and original! I'm hoping to go and see it when it comes out if I have the pocket money, especially after finally watching all the x men films.**

**i realise after this most chapters will be focused on Sam and Isaac, however, I will try and add John bits where I can, especially between him and bobby.**

**thanks for all the support!**

_**with that done, on with the chapter...**_

* * *

_Oh, you can hear me cry,_

_See my dreams all die,_

_From where you're standing, on your own. _

_It's so quiet here, and I feel so cold,_

_This house no longer,  
_

_Feels like home,_

_Ben Cocks ~ So cold_

* * *

"You sure you want to do this?" John asked me in a whisper, all of us looking directly at the double doors of the club. A flicker of fear sparked inside me, but apparently the newly found energy quickly tore it to pieces, and a smirk appeared on my face.

"No more hiding." I replied, to which he responded by entwining his hand in mine. The touch was comforting, but my mind warned to pull away, to not fall for it. I ignored the warning, it couldn't stop me from having fun.

"Since when?" Johanna asked in a shocked tone, Kitty and Bobby gawping at the two of us. I think we both realised we couldn't hide it anymore, glancing at each other with the exact same smirk.

"Since Central Park...after you ran off." I told her, and she rolled her eyes at me.

"Seriously? You couldn't wait to snog her face off?" Johanna directed the questions towards John, who glared at her before softening the look as I gripped his hand. He didn't counter her questions, which I was grateful for. I looked past John at Kitty and Bobby, Kitty's wink telling me I'd done good, Bobby nodded his head with a little smile.

Thinking on how we looked, all of us standing in a straight line in front of a nightclub, not exactly non-suspicious, but as a few drunkards walked past us loudly, I didn't think anyone really cared. The night rained upon us, the light patter sending a tension through all of us, mainly me as the water trickled down my face, oddly able to spark the tiniest amount of energy.

"Come on, let's get inside before it pours down." Johanna offered, storming towards the double doors and heading inside, Bobby and Kitty slightly reluctant but followed anyway, Kitty just fazing through the wall.

"Something's up, don't lie." John said forcefully, blocking my view of the nightclub as he released my hand. I avoided his eyes, everyone had been glancing at my hair the whole bus trip, and even though he tried not to, John couldn't help himself from sneaking little peaks.

"Nothing has happened, just, my mutation is waking up a bit more, that's all this is." I said, pointing a finger around my hair, acting like it was nothing. John stared at my eyes, trying to decide whether I was lying or not. I joked about the subject, thinking it would shake him off.

"Why the sudden sensitive type?" I quipped, and luckily John fell for it and smirked, dropping the detective eyes.

"That's what boyfriends do...or as Bobby's been tutoring me." He shrugged, pushing a strand of blue hair behind my ear. He glanced at it for a moment, noting where the shades changed, how many there were, he wasn't trying to hide his fascination.

"You shouldn't care what people think, it's amazing, and you're still the same Sam." He told me, likely the softest tone he had ever used. I smiled, hugging him briefly before pulling him inside by his arm.

Strobe lights, fog, loud music...this was definitely a nightclub. The assorted colours of red, green and blue reminded me of the other club where all of it started, but this one looked more expensive and well-looked after.

The bar stretched around in an oval shape in the centre, with booths of tables scattered around it, a metal staircase lead to a lower level where the dance floor was placed, multiple people dancing drunkly.

Johanna called us towards a table at the far end of the club, away from most of the other tables which was perfect for us. Purposely, me and John swivelled through everyone and joined the other three members of our group, Kitty and bobby already in a deep conversation. I smiled, they did get on as I had hoped.

I was practically dragged towards Johanna who sat in the centre of the booth between Bobby and me, meaning Kitty and John had to sit on the edges. She looked overly ecstatic with herself for bringing all of us together, and she even mentioned that Jubilee was supposed to join us, her new roommate declined as she didn't like clubs, fearing her _fireworks _might erupt suddenly. It was better the way it was, nearly all of us knew each other except Kitty and Johanna, but they got talking pretty quickly and seemed civil with each other.

"So drinks people?" Johanna asked, glancing at all of us hoping one of us would answer. I elected myself to answer, needing something to do to mask the growing shakiness in my fingers, this being because multiple angry clubbers were pointing and staring at us.

"How about tequila, this is a celebration after all, new era and all that." I offered (because Johanna had nearly perfected her suggestion), pulling my hoodie sleeves over my quivering fingers under the table. Everyone quietened, signalling they didn't like the idea.

"We don't want to get drunk, and I thought you said this was about getting to know each other better." Bobby spoke for everyone, clearly wanting to go on and say _and not get wasted_, but he kept quiet. I nodded my head, pretending to agree as the energy worsened.

_Stop it..._

I hissed, but was left unanswered as the energy wasn't like the water, it didn't have a voice. It slowed down, but the shakiness in my fingers was still detectable. Johanna watched me, worried that I was scared, remembering me being like this the first time she met me.

"I'll just ask for some cokes, everyone okay with that?"

We all agreed as Bobby and kitty moved out the way so Johanna could get past, John too stubborn to move and I felt as if I did I would collapse. I had to inhale and exhale loudly to keep myself in control, but it was gradually becoming more difficult as the rage burned within me...no, not burned, _crashed_, like a coastal wave against rock.

Suddenly the sound of clicking metal nearly sent me over the edge, John pulling out his lighter as he revealed the burning flame. I watched it dance, the flame wavering from side to side silently. He quickly closed it, and then opened it again...the same process going on for twenty times before I finally spoke out, unable to crush my irritation.

"Stop doing that." I seethed, John closing it on cue. Bobby and Kitty had jolted at my slightly hissed voice, Kitty surprised as she had always seen the nicer side of me, Bobby just remembered the incident in Central Park.

"It didn't bother you before." John mumbled, clearly hurt by my outburst. He clicked a few more times to prove his point, and I had to clench my fist not to snatch the lighter off him.

"Well it's annoying me now, perceptions change." I countered gloweringly, noting how John was gradually becoming more angered.

"You've been acting like this ever since you knocked on our dorm door, ordering us to get ready as we were going to some club. What's wrong with you?" Bobby said, leaning closer to me with a tiny glare in his once kind eyes, one I had only witnessed once before, at Central Park. I scowled back, despising the question.

"I'm sick of people asking me that question, there is _nothing _wrong with me." I replied forcefully, but tears glazed my eyes, the constant crying starting to grate me, why did I cry so much?

Because I was broken, that was why.

"Could've fooled me." John interrupted, taking Bobby's side. I looked over to Kitty for support, but she also took Bobby's side, her face a blank expression but her eyes told me she agreed with the two boys. I sighed expressly, feeling cornered and ganged upon.

_Bobby's right, something is really wrong, why won't I just shut up?_

I asked myself, finding the only answer I could possibly have being the sudden energy surges I was experiencing. I still didn't understand why it was happening now, I spent years mastering the mutation, to not suddenly have an outburst and break every water main within a mile, and it had all gone to waste within a couple of hours.

I repetitively tried to force the words _I'm sorry _out of my mouth, but they just wouldn't form into sound, Bobby shaking his head disappointedly. In the end, the only person who hadn't turned against me was Johanna, so I searched for her at the bar.

She was patiently waiting for the drinks, tapping on the bar with her purple painted nails. Unfortunately, my eyes also casted to the people who had been pointing earlier, a few murmuring amongst themselves, eyes focused on me directly.

_I can't do this..._

"John please move." I asked hastily, the surge of energy spurred on by my hysterics. He was going to decline, still angry at me for snapping at him, but saw the tears in my eyes and complied reluctantly, stepping out of his chair slowly. I pushed myself towards Johanna, breathing heavily as my eyes frantically snapped on everyone in my eye line, thinking they were all out to do us harm.

Johanna turned around when I tapped her on the shoulder, a quick smile that turned to concern as she saw my worsened manner, the shaking I couldn't disguise any longer.

"Hey Sam, what's wrong?" She asked, squeezing my shoulders in an act to calm me, but I shrugged them off, not even wanting her to touch me in case she felt the energy that writhed inside me.

"I can't do it, I can't stay here." I replied below a whisper, shaking my head vigorously, realising I had repeated what my brother had told me before he supposedly died. Before she could say anything, I was spun around by an unknown person, an angry middle-aged women glaring loathingly at me, her biker buddies ganging up behind her.

"We know your sort, mutants, you don't belong here." She snarled at me, using a pudgy finger to prod me in the chest, sending a jolt of pain (but also a spark of energy) through my body.

"Leave her alone!" Johanna screeched, pushing the woman away.

"You too? You're scum, get your friends and get out of my bar!" She bellowed, and I really wanted to be out of the confrontation, but Johanna gripped my arm tightly.

"We're not going anywhere, so sling your hook and leave us alone." She was using her suggestion, but it failed, the woman was much stronger-willed than any man Johanna had charmed. Again she prodded me, much harsher than before, my hands involuntarily curling into fists.

"You _really _don't want to do that again." I warned her, or more fittingly begged, having a smidgen of self-control left but it was deteriorating quickly. The woman took a step forward, extending her already tall height to look down at me, spot-infested face disgusting me to no end making me want to gag.

"Or what mutant? You haven't got the guts." She decreed, extending her arm back in an attempt to punch me. But before the impact could be made, she was on her knees vomiting, but it wasn't vomit, it was pure water. She brought her hands to grip around her throat, the water just spilling out her mouth and gushing over the red carpeted floor. The club screamed in surprise, watching in fear as the woman drowned on her own bodily fluid.

"You sure about that?" I said through shaky breaths, a numb hand raised as I willed the water to continue draining, attempting to spill every drop.

"Sam! Stop it, can't you see it's killing her, stop it!" Johanna screamed at me, shaking my numb arm savagely. In one shaky gasp I let the woman go, her body collapsing onto the floor as she inhaled glorious oxygen, staring up at me in fear.

I watched as she slinked away from me, still on the floor as she crawled towards her friends who helped her up, all eyes on me. I was still gasping, looking at my raised hand in horror.

I almost killed someone...I almost _murdered _a human.

"Sam..." Johanna whispered, shell-shocked by my actions. I twisted to look at her one final time, seeing the fear in her eyes...in _everyone's _eyes.

I ran.

I bustled past all the petrified people and slammed the double doors open, hearing Johanna's voice call after me. But I refused to stop, stumbling into a narrow alleyway and resting my body against the cold wall. I closed my eyes, wishing the energy to go away, to stop screaming at me to use it again.

_Shut up!_

I yelled, the drain above me exploding as water rained down and drenched my body. It didn't just pass over me, no, it seeped into my clothes, crawling into my skin as it replenished me.

_What's wrong with me?_

I asked through a broken soul, sliding down to the concrete floor as I hid my face in my hands. I choked, scrunching my body into a tight ball of protection, hoping if I squeezed hard enough I would disappear. Time past slowly, the alleyway covering me so no-one could find me. I heard Johanna and Kitty calling for me, telling me to come back, saying it was going to be okay.

It would never be okay. I went too far. Professor X would never accept me back.

What almost brought me out of my ball, was John's voice shouting for me, concern I had never heard in his tone before. He honestly wanted me to come out, no matter what crap I had said, he still cared. I couldn't face them, not after that, how was I supposed to look them in the eye after I nearly killed someone?

I let their voices die away in the night, the only sound being my shallow heartbeat as it slowed to a near halt, feeling as if death would be an easy way out, but then again hell could be waiting for me. I was that ashamed of myself, ashamed at what I had become because of this power, this power I hated and wished I could get rid of.

I was hating _myself_ all over again.

"Sammy?" A familiar voice spoke in the darkness of the alleyway, my head snapping in that direction. Slowly, the owner stepped out so I could see their features, horrified to see it was Isaac. He was wearing faded patient clothes, arms bare as goose pimples appeared on his skin, feet also bare even though how cold the bitter night was.

Fair to say I was confused.

"Isaac, what...what are you doing here?" I croaked, still trying to piece together how he was there when I left him with the X-men. Strangely, he smiled maliciously, eyes changing into a murky yellow.

"To bring you home, _Samantha King_." The voice was now that of a woman's, the shock of this changed voice forcing me to stand, but I couldn't remove myself from the wall.

Slowly Isaac was engulfed in a shifting colour of blue, this blue shape growing taller as it covered the whole Isaac decoy. When the change was complete, a naked woman (I believed her to be a woman due to the obvious female breasts) stood in front of me, hair the colour of crimson blood and the yellow eyes with black conjugating spots

"Who are you?" I asked quickly, taking a step back as the mutant took a step forward. She cocked her head to the side, as if studying me, the smile still on her blue face.

"Mystique, and I saw what you did in there...truly amazing, just like Magneto had said." She replied, taking more steps towards me, but this time I didn't counter them, suddenly intrigued by this Magneto.

"How does _Magneto _know my name?" I asked warily, but part of me knew I didn't need to fear Mystique, at least not yet. She chuckled, amused by my lack of knowledge.

"He knows more than your name. He knows about your mother, he knows about your father's cure, he knows about your brother...he even knows the things Charles Xavier won't tell you." She teased, knowing that every word was capturing my full attention, mesmerised by this seemingly proud mutant, something hard to come by when she looked the way she did. It was amazing, how her attitudes portrayed someone who couldn't care what humanity thought of her, which was something I respected.

"Is he more willing to tell me?" I asked, Mystique's confidence seeming to rub off on me as I straightened by back, stepping forward slightly as I wanted to know more about Magneto. Mystique knew she had me now, and smiled with a grin that revealed her white teeth.

"More than that, he's willing to give you a home, one that won't cast you out in the cold." She replied lowly, gently using one blue hand to graze against the side of my face, wiping away the drying tears in the process.

I thought for a moment.

If I went with Mystique, I would be leaving everything I had at the X-mansion, I would be leaving Isaac, Johanna, Kitty, Bobby...John. And worst of all...I would be leaving Sam.

"Where do I sign up?" I quipped through a cracked throat, to which Mystique smiled, knowing it was too easy to corrupt me.

* * *

I knew I should've chased after her, stopping her would've stopped my dreams from coming true, could they be classed as dreams now? Dreams are fantasy worlds created by our imagination to escape reality, not foreseeing the future.

I had taken her chair after forcing myself away from Dr Grey, her warm arms beginning to suffocate me. I just stared at the floor, unable to see the many faces of the X-men, every single one bringing the future upon themselves for not stopping my sister. That was all they had to do to change it, to not let her leave the room, but no, they had just let her prance out.

"Do you see now Isaac, see why we were concerned for your sister's well being?" Professor X's voice spoke from the space in front of me, but I didn't look up, because I already knew why, I saw why they were _afraid of her_.

"All that time she spent here, and none of you noticed what was happening to her?" I accused, finally looking up and glancing at all the faces. My eyes rested on Professor X, him the most to blame for the events that were about to unfold, events he could've stopped from happening.

"To be honest kid, nobody noticed she was there to begin with." Logan grunted, still pissed by her argumentative comments.

"Logan stop, don't make it worse for him." Dr Grey scolded, Logan shutting up for only her. I wanted to also growl at him, but felt like I couldn't defend myself if he suddenly lunged at me with those claws, I wasn't brave enough to try.

"How could we notice something that wasn't there? The drastic increase in her mutation was only apparent this evening, when you witnessed it, I doubt whether she even noticed it herself before it was too late." Professor X used excuses, but he knew he should've acted quicker before the mutation even showed signs of increasing.

"Evolution takes years and mutation _is_ evolution , so how can it _suddenly _happen?" I hissed, but I already knew the answer, I had read through every page of my father's journal as Professor X instructed his X-men, every paragraph making me gag, never knowing any human could be so cruel.

Professor X rested a wrinkled hand on my lap, clearly trying to show he cared about me and my sister, but he should've done more than that to save her.

"You've read the pages...your father had been quickening the mutation process for years, likely from the moment she was born he had been using her to unlock the mutation codes. That is why your mother made him leave Isaac, not because of you or Samantha, but because she found out what he had been doing to the _both _of you." He confirmed my judgement, and it sickened me to think a man I called my father did those things, made us into stronger mutants that we originally would not had been.

The future had been written since the moment Sammy was born, every step pointing her towards the final destination, which was so far away to somewhere I couldn't save her.

"It's too late." I stated flatly, frantic knocks on the door timed perfectly. Everyone turned to the door, the frantic knocking continuing non-stop.

"Enter." Professor X commanded, the door slamming open to reveal a girl I didn't recognise, but behind her was Kitty, Bobby and Pyro, all of them friends of Sammy.

_She's gone..._

My mind concluded sadly, I didn't need to hear their hysteric explanations of what happened, I knew she was now in the clutches of the brotherhood.

"Miss Pearce, Miss Pryde, Mr Drake and Mr Allerdyce...may I ask why you-" professor X stopped abruptly, hearing _Miss Pearce_ telepathically tell him what had happened. He paled, he genuinely paled as he realised the grave error he had made, and the consequences of that decision.

"Charles?" Elijah asked worryingly, never seeing the man so saddened since the beach in nineteen sixty-two, when Erik began his alternate path that created the brotherhood. Professor X looked at his old friend, mouth slightly open as he tried to think of the right words, truly fearful of what Miss Pearce had told him.

"She's gone Elijah." He stated, hurt in his tone, ashamed he had treated her poorly, she had been strong enough for the truth but he couldn't bring himself to tell her.

"What do you mean 'she's gone'?" He asked, taking a step toward the crippled Charles, finding that the man couldn't answer.

"She's with the brotherhood, like I told you, she's with him now." I told them, knowing it was no good, if the adults couldn't accept it I would have too. I looked towards her friends, all of them confused and ashamed that they had left Sam behind, believing she would have at least gone back home. The sad thing was, she was going home, to where she _belonged_.

My eyes rested on Pyro, even though he wouldn't use the name yet, I knew it was a matter of time before he would. He seemed to be the most ashamed, and I realised that he did care about her, that it wasn't a bit of fun for him, he genuinely cared. But it was all in vain, the short romance they had was over, she wouldn't be Sammy anymore.

She was levelled as a Beta mutant...Aqua was now in control.

* * *

As soon as I stepped inside the gigantic rock and metal covered room, I knew this brotherhood meant business. The long trip to the island brought enough tension, the night sky changing into early morning orange as the helicopter touched down, Mystique apparently adapt at flying helicopters as it was a steady landing.

She walked in front of me, only barely as I kept up with her quick pace towards a metal desk, unable to see anyone around, my eyes marvelling in the sight of the miraculous structure, able to hear distant water calmly swaying in another part of the island.

"Ah Mystique, you've brought our guest." The voice sounded old, a grave rocky tone which to me fitted with the owner's surroundings, reminding me of an evil scientist in a lair. Mystique stepped to the side to reveal me, my eyes focused on the man sitting at the desk, four metal balls clinking together as the old man studied me.

He looked older than Professor X, but seemed to hold the same authority if not more powerful, hands clasped together under his chin as his eyes travelled over me, as if this alone was a test. He seemed satisfied with me, though I could clearly make out slight disappointment, clearly expecting something more than a sixteen year old girl with a tear-streaked face and bags under my eyes.

"Welcome Miss King, shall we take a walk?" He offered, standing up majestically as he ushered me to stand beside him. I looked to Mystique, as if searching for a comfort that it was good to follow his instructions, there was no comfort, something I deemed I would have to get used to.

I limped over to him, his face wearing a tight smirk that could be undetected, and there was no warmth to it. He guided me down more metal and rock hallways, walking slowly as he explained why I had been brought before him.

"I understand there are questions you wish to ask, and I will answer them in time, but now I need to find out your true potential." He decreed, hands moving as he spoke, clearly a habit. As we walked further away from the main room, I heard the loud clank as the four balls rolled off the table, and I realised he had caused it.

_Magneto...does that have something to do with magnetism?_

I wondered, but didn't ask the questions, not wanting to anger him as it would be a bad first impression. Instead I asked a more reasonable question, one that was connected to his previous statement.

"Potential?" My voice cracked with the question, tiredness attacking me since I tried resting at the back of the helicopter, however the constant vibrations and noise meant I couldn't.

"A war is brewing, and there is no point in you being here if you cannot defend yourself." He answered, keeping his word that any questions I asked he would answer, which was more than Professor X had done for a long time.

We came to a room which was mostly imbedded with rock, the only metal being a narrow walkway and the entrance/exit door. I realised before we stepped inside, that the water I had been connecting with earlier was from this room (this room actually being on the edge of the island, the dark night sky holding no stars), the floor being surrounded with a large quantity of lake-sized water, the gentle bobbing music to my ears.

_You took your time..._

It seemed to mock, thinking I should have been brought there sooner.

"How do I prove I have potential?" I asked, knowing whatever he would ask me to do I would do in a heartbeat, I already felt like I had found home. He smirked again, but it seemed more malicious than the other one, giving me chills.

Suddenly a roar erupted above me, and before I could even react a large hairy hand gripped my throat, almost choking me on the spot. I felt sharp nails dig into the flesh of my neck, but I dared not struggle unless my captor decided to just break my neck there and then.

"Like this." Magneto spoke in a normal tone, clearly not caring about the fear that had gripped me like the large hand around my throat. With one swift nod of his head, the owner of the giant hand used its other one to rip the fabric of my hoodie and black t-shirt away to reveal my bare arm. With one flick, searing pain made me yelp, a deep cut bleeding near the crook of my elbow joint.

Magneto wasn't fazed, in fact, he seemed slightly irritated that I had shown pain, the measly cut nothing compared to other tasks he had for me if I succeeded. He stepped forward, his eyes focused on mine as again he studied me, searching for my weak point so he could crush it.

The creature still gripping my throat refused to let me go, even though it seemed his work was done, but Magneto wanted it to squeeze my throat tighter, forcing me to act.

I had gained an audience, Mystique appearing behind Magneto, watching me in agony with a smile on her face. A crazed laugh erupted from above, a slimy green mutant crawling down the rock wall so I could get a good look at him, his green hair and grotesque face reminding me of a toad.

"Think Miss King...use what you have always had at your disposal." Magneto encouraged, not giving me anymore clues. I thought about it, I knew he meant water, but what could I possibly do with water in concerns to the cut?

_Wait, I've seen this before..._

Like a lightbulb in my head, I willed a spiralling snake of liquid to emerge from the water behind Magneto and Mystique, watching as it rose above their heads. I made it break free from the main water supply, rolling it into a clear ball as I ushered it towards me.

It moved quite hastily, passing over Magneto's head, dropping down slightly to steady itself in front of my raised hand. It broke apart into five strands, gliding along my fingers and hand towards the crook of my arm. As it reached the cut, it sizzled for all of two seconds before every single droplet seeped into the damaged flesh and repaired it.

I wasn't done.

Using the newly found sparks of energy, I focused on the water behind me and the creature, commanding it to do as I told it. A surprise roar erupted and the grip around my throat stopped as the creature was dragged into the water by another liquid snake, me gasping oxygen into my lungs.

The toad-like mutant clapped his hands viciously, him suddenly sitting crossed-legged on the ceiling like a baby vampire. I turned around to catch a look at the creature, seeing mostly drenched blonde fur, two black irises and razor sharp teeth. He looked more like an animal than a human.

I twisted my body around to look at Magneto as the animal-like mutant snarled at me angrily as he bobbed on the water. To my surprise, he seemed _proud _of what I had just done, seeing I did have the potential he wanted.

"Welcome to the brotherhood...it is accustomed to have a named based on your power." He enlightened, and I liked how he used _power _instead of _mutation_, because mutation always seemed to mean something that was an abomination.

I didn't have to think long, I knew what I was meant to be called. With a wicked smirk, I glanced at every mutant before my gaze again rested on Magneto.

"Aqua, I want mine to be Aqua."


	14. One Year On, War Begins

**Hey people, so this is where the story coincides with the first x-men film, but I think I have a lot of work to do as I feel like I should be writing better. This is what always happens if I get into a story for too long, I can't help it, I have so many ideas for where to take it for some scenes in films or TV shows, and then the other trivial things that I have to add to keep it flowing, it takes so much longer for me.**

**Luckily I know what I'm doing with Aqua and Pyro, I know I want to go on and write ****about after X-men:the last stand...it's just getting there. For the people who are still reading this and are enjoying it thank you so much, it really is helping when I think the work isn't good enough or needs changes here and there.**

**i want to make this my longest story because I really love the X-men characters and the ones I've create (if that doesn't sound vain or something) and I really want to finish this for them and for you people who have stuck with it. Its chapter 16 (what I've just finished writing) and even though I'm trying to keep the flow and emotion it's also getting everything from the films as well in their perspectives.**

**I'm just going on wait too long with this, but I needed to get it out 's probably best written on this chapter as this one was the one I struggled on the most, I don't know why, I think I lost the imagination or something for a bit. I actually forgot how long it took to write about scenes in a film, I did it ages ago for another story for supernatural and it was only a one minute scene but there was a lot of dialogue to remember. fair to say in the end I out the film on and muted it (having the subtitles up) and fast forwarded to the scenes I needed and then went back over them with sound for extra detail,and stuff. It took a while, and I'm not complaining because I want to put effort into this one, which I haven't done on a story for a while.**

**thanks to SuperNaturalxxFreak, Tiger Mutant and BatBabe66 for the reviews. **

**In regards to yours tiger mutant, I wasn't sure whether that was a good reaction or not XD.**

**SuperNaturalxxFreak ~ I do have plans for pyro and Aqua, but if people like to see separate series of one-shots in those three weeks than I'd happily do them, it's whether would want to see more of the couple.**

**BatBabe66 ~ thank you XD I realise I wrote a lot of drama pretty quickly, but I had time then, and I will likely get more time as this term is only four weeks before another week break...so glad when the four weeks are up!**

**disclaimer: I only own OCs**

**with that done, on with the chapter...**

* * *

_A warning to the prophet,_

_The liar, the honest,_

_This is war,_

_To the leader, the pariah,_

_The victor, the messiah,_

_This is war,_

_30 Seconds To Mars ~ This Is War_

* * *

"Erik"

The mutant stopped in his tracks, that voice, the wise tone that once held a young man's life. Now it was simply wise, and it pained the mutant's eardrums.

"What are you doing here?"

"Why ask a question to which you already know the answer to, Charles?" Magneto responded to his once friend turned rival, hoping to escape unnoticed by the telepath, but alas he was always in the places Magneto didn't want him to be.

He had already heard enough of the homosapiens, with their demands for laws to be made against mutants, how primitive. He still wondered why Charles stood by them, after all the hate and speeches the senators made against them, he still believed there could be peace.

"Don't give up on them Erik." The old mutant sighed, however, there was a sense of a plead in his tone, as of trying to appeal to Magneto's _humanity_, such a hypocritical phrase.

"What would you have me do Charles? I've heard these arguments before." Magneto replied, barely hinting at the barbaric events of the nineteen forties, but Charles knew the mutant too well and knew the hint as if he was downright speaking the words.

"It was a long time ago, mankind has evolved since then."

Magneto doubted that, Senator Kelly made it perfectly clear what his actions towards mutants were, and it was similar to the event he would not directly name, he did not need to.

"Yes...into us."

Magneto sighed internally, he could feel Charles trying rattle inside his head, learn what he was up to the easy way. He was also searching information on one of his old students, clearly wondering what had become of her in his care, but as Magneto knew he wouldn't be able to get inside his head.

"Are you searching around in here, Charles? Whatever are you looking for?" Magneto teased, tapping two fingers at the side of his head, a silent mimicry of what Charles used to do when he was a young man still learning to use telepathy.

"I'm looking for hope." Charles replied, mysterious riddles a continuous answer to most questions asked to him. There were multiple ideas he could mean, it could be he believed that hope could make his old friend see humanity had evolved from primitive ways, it could be hope that a war wouldn't begin, but there was one other option, this one Magneto played on.

"Your old student is no more, if you had shown trust in her, encouraged her growing power...she wouldn't have so willingly joined the brotherhood." Magneto enlightened, both of the old mutants knowing it to be true. Charles sighed anciently, he wanted to know what had become of Samantha King, true, but he also needed to know what Erik had been doing within the year she had spent in his care, knowing his plans had been pushed forward for a while.

"Don't underestimate her Erik, she is more powerful than you could ever imagine, if she decides to turn against you...you cannot fight against her." He warned Erik, having learnt so much more about her father's tests since he last saw the broken mutant. Erik scoffed internally, she had power, but he didn't doubt he could stop her if necessary.

"You underestimate _me_ Charles, you underestimate her loyalty." He concluded, finally turning around slowly to see Charles in his wheelchair. It was a sorry sight, and the slightest clink of guilt appeared in Magneto's gut, remembering the exact bullet that had triangulated into Charles's spine on that cruel beach.

Magneto pushed the guilt away, it was _not _his fault, it was humanity's fault, that agent who had shot at him, he was forced to defend himself, he couldn't help Charles being in the line of fire. Or that's what he told himself every day after the event, and the more he told himself, the more he believed it.

"I will bring you hope, old friend. And I ask only one thing in return. Don't get in my way." He warned, tapping his hat once in goodbye before walking away.

"We are the future, Charles, not them! They no longer matter." Magneto finished, walking purposely away without looking back, never seeing the blank expression on Charles's face. However his eyes revealed tiredness, tiredness caused by the years the two elderly mutants spent arguing with each other. But there was also another reason for his tiredness, he had been using Cerebro every day in an attempt to find Samantha King, as he had promised her brother...he would do _anything _to bring her home.

"They do matter Erik...much more than you will ever know." Charles sighed, his rival long gone.

* * *

I threw the book away in rage, gripping my black hair tightly as it somehow managed to enclose the anger. I hated this, I hated waited for an event I knew would happen, that was the curse of witnessing the future...I had to _wait _for it to happen.

I found myself spending most of my days in the library, reading though every book I could get my hands on. I didn't go to lessons, or ones I weren't dragged to by Elijah, who seemed to act like a father figure since Sammy ran away. I must admit I liked the mutant, he seemed to understand what I was going through, he saw that I was struggling without my sister.

I was exhausted, everyday I submerged myself in water, forcing more dreams upon me, just to know where my sister was. But it wouldn't work, something was clouding her, clouding her from _me_.

_Sammy, please come back..._

I pleaded, this plead being the trillionth time in the last year. I knew she would never return, why would she when she found somewhere that gave her what she needed?

Family, purpose.

I rubbed my eyes, this exhaustion slowly killing me. But I couldn't sleep, I refused to sleep until the mutant Rogue walked through the X-mansion's doors, along with the amnestied Logan. For the second time he had found himself in the worst of situations and got shot, in the head, _again_. Honestly, I swear he went looking for trouble.

"Do I have to drag you to mutant ethics again?" Elijah's scolding voice suddenly spoke from in front of me. I looked up lazily, resting my arms on the wooden table as I was surrounded by piles of books. He was smirking at me, something that had become gradually common the more he knew me. It was surreal, of course Professor X, Dr Grey and Professor Munroe gave me extra attention (either because they feared I would turn to the brotherhood as well, or because I needed the comfort) but he was the only one that pushed me into lessons, pushed me to live my own life.

He sighed, crouching beside me with an arm around my shoulders.

"Professor X is doing all he can to find Samantha." He comforted, but I shook my head depressively, knowing it was in vain.

"He's been using Cerebro for a _year_ trying to find her, and he's no closer to finding the brotherhood." I stated lowly, my voice deeper as puberty kicked in, my height suddenly shooting up to level with Bobby. Elijah gripped my left shoulder because he knew it was true, everyday Professor X used Cerebro in an attempt to locate them, every time it tired him to no end but he would not give up.

"The one thing I know about Erik Lehnsherr, is that he sees every mutant as family, he'll be sure to help her survive the best he can. She's safe Isaac, that's the only comfort I can give you." He told me with a smile, because he knew Erik like a brother, an elderly powerful brother.

Reluctantly I nodded my head, Elijah standing up with a sigh. This was what Sammy had left me with, one old mutant who aged slower than the Gods (I had taken a liking to reading Norse, Greek and Roman mythology, I needed something fantasy based to escape from reality) and an enrolment in Xavier's school for gifted youngsters, however, I hardly ever went to lessons unless forced to.

"I just want my sister back." I revealed, barely able to keep my eyes open. Elijah bowed his head, gazing at me with sympathetic eyes.

"We all know Isaac, we want to see her safely here too." He finished, disappearing with his smoke, leaving me with a clustered conscious. I yawned loudly, thinking it was about time I tried to get some sleep. I trusted that Elijah would put away my piles of books, stumbling out of the chair as I lazily walked towards the dorm I shared with Connor.

Connor had joined a month ago, his mutation was awesome, he could teleport short distances in a glow of orange rays, which he used to cheat when we played basketball. Like most kids he was shy at first, but he quickly found his feet and could be classed as one of the younger clowns of school.

As I rounded one of the corners (I had decided to run before all the energy was drained out of me completely) and bumped into Pyro. He seemed annoyed by me crashing into his shoulder, his baggy red t-shirt not giving much protection. He had become even more of a trouble maker, creating small fireballs in class, insulting people with sarcasm, apparently he was worse than before Sammy came along according to Bobby.

"Watch where you're going next time." He grumbled, pushing past me. I was going to just ignore him as I had been for the whole year, but something pushed me to follow him. He was walking up the wide stairs in a hasty but bored fashion. I sprinted up, attempting to walk next to him. As we reached the top, he purposely twisted around and prodded my chest, clearly not wanting me to follow him.

"I don't care what you have against me, leave me the fuck alone." He seethed, gripping his lighter tightly, his white knuckles just able to be seen under the long sleeves. He was right, I did have something against him, but he hadn't even done it yet so it was just me being cruel.

"Sam really cared about you, the reason she left was because she was too afraid, she was afraid everyone would abandon her." I told him, thinking he deserved the truth as to why she left, even if it made little difference to his attitude. He only grew angrier at the name, quite glad that the name had ceased to be talked about, I was the only one that even dared speak it.

"She made her choice, she abandoned _us_. You want to continue trying to find her? Fine. But leave me out of it. I stopped giving a crap a long time ago." He mocked, storming down the corridor on the right without looking back. He was lying. Deep down he still _gave a crap_, but he felt betrayed, same with everyone that knew her.

The sound of slamming doors rumbled downstairs, my head snapping to look down as Professor Summers stumbled inside with a large unconscious lump draped over his shoulders, he grunted, the lump looking heavy. Professor Munroe hurried behind him, she was comforting a girl I hadn't seen before.

_It's her_...

I concluded with bulging eyes, the skittish girl shivering in a large green coat, the hood masking most of her features but I knew it was the same one. I rushed down the steps, jumping the last two as I stood next to Professor Monroe, who was wearing the X-men uniform.

"Isaac, can you go and help Scott?" She asked me, using the honey sweet tone of hers. I nodded my head sharply, taking one last look at the girl who I knew was named Rogue, seeing how she felt comfortable with Professor Monroe being so close to her.

I rushed to catch up with Professor Summers, squeezing past him to open one of the wood-carved doors. He looked up to see who was helping him behind the red visor, smiled briefly before getting a better grip on the lump, this being an unconscious Logan.

"Thanks, you know you coulda warned us it was Logan." He said through another lot of grunts, to which a rare smirk spread across my face.

"Where's the fun in that? Anyway, I've decided to keep the visions to myself from now on." I explained, deeming too many people knowing the future a bad call, especially after Sammy running off.

"Professor X won't like that, we didn't name you Mancio for nothing you know." He countered, slipping inside the door as I closed it again, walking in front of him if anymore doors needed to be open that lead to the lower levels where Dr Grey was working.

I rolled my eyes at the name, I didn't like it, it meant _he who foretells the future_, but I didn't want to tell people anymore, it wasn't safe. It all started after students in school decided to have code names, this being because most of the adults had them, and they were X-men and to students that means one day they might be known as those code names.

Fair to say it was Elijah that came up with it, and it stuck, but luckily it was only said as an inside joke rather than an actual code name. I still hated it though.

"He may not like it, but I can't go telling people the future, it might jeopardise everything." I explained, opening another door for Professor Summers to walk through, the repeated action quickly getting boring. I was right though, in films people shouldn't know the future as one act could destroy the world, that was fantasy of course, but reality wasn't that much different.

"Still, it would've been nice to know Logan can't remember anything...again." He mumbled, both of us finally coming up to the elevator that went down to the lower levels of the X-mansion. It slid open sideways, Professor Summers stepping inside before turning around awkwardly to face me, who remained outside the doors.

"Don't worry, he'll still think you're a dick...and he'll still have his eyes on Dr Grey." I assured him, to which I swear Professor Summers raised his eyebrows in an all knowing expression.

"Yep, that's what I'm worried about." He grumbled, meaning that he really didn't want to go over the _don't touch my girl _talk, but if he wanted Logan to stay away from Dr Grey, he would have to. I took a step back as the doors closed, Professor Summers disappearing behind the wood-panelled wall.

_This place is a secret passages jackpot..._

I thought, wondering how many secret rooms there were in the old mansion. But I would have to do the exploring later, yawning loudly as the exhaustion kicked in again.

"Definitely time to go to bed." I mumbled, trying once again to get to my dorm without interruptions. As I walked, I couldn't help but picture Sammy walking down the same corridors, learning in the same classrooms, it was like a far away memory and yet it was only a year.

But it was a long, painful year. And I knew Professor X was doing all he could to find her, even if he did, I doubted she would come back. She must have known the truth by now, about Dad and his experiments, about how she could engulf water inside her and then amplify it to larger proportions...she must have known about granddad being killed by Azazal.

_If she doesn't already, Magneto won't tell her, he needs her to keep trust in mutants..._

I told myself, because I knew that was the one thing he would have kept quiet about. The reason Dad hated mutants, the reason why he wanted to make the cure, because he was afraid that he would lose his family due to another mutant. But he was wrong. He went about it the worst way.

"Why couldn't you just let it go?" I asked to no-one, the question directed at my Dad. He had been placed in jail, after being given five years due to the manslaughter of a mutant. It was disgraceful, it wasn't an accident, but of course the humans took Dad's side because they feared mutants, he deserved at least twenty, if not life for the amount of abuse that he had done to more unknown mutants.

He was a monster. And slowly, I knew Sammy was becoming just like him, except the opposite...she wanted humans to suffer the way we had for so long. Despite that, despite her abandoning everything to join Magneto and his band of mutants set to destroy humanity...I still loved her, I still wanted to go and get her myself.

But the temptation to just stay with her, no matter what Magneto was planning, was too tantalising if I did go against Professor X. I would just have to wait, as per usual.

* * *

He despised that damn kid! He was always on his case in one form or another, and as far as he knew, he hadn't done anything to receive such hatred. Actually he probably did deserve it, but not for the reasons Isaac had thrown in at him.

John stormed down the corridor, he didn't exactly have a destination, he just needed to be far away from Isaac. What struck him was that he wanted to open his lighter and create a fireball in his hand, hoping to scare the younger boy off his back, but in the end he walked away as he tried to act like a better person. Even now he was still doing things to prove her right, to prove he was a good guy, and he didn't understand why he was still trying.

_She's gone and she's never coming back...so suck it up..._

He commanded himself, as he had repeated multiple times since the night she had left. Maybe he could have done something, said something different than the hostile last words he had said, but how was he to know she would try and hurt someone? He didn't see things before they happened, not like Isaac, he should've seen it coming and warned Professor X, surely he would have done something.

"John!"

_Not you as well..._

He whined internally, knowing that the irritating voice could mean only one person. He sped his pace up, pretending he hadn't heard the tanned girl, but he could hear her rushing feet chase after him.

_Why can't people just leave me alone?_

He yelled inside his head, but the girl heard his thoughts. She didn't counter them with a sarcastic answer, however she was angry at how he had been dodging her for the year, thinking he was the only person who knew Sam just as much as she did.

_"John stop or so help me I'll catch you and slap you to death!" _

Johanna telepathically screamed inside John's head, and reluctantly he stopped abruptly and turned around to face her. She was no longer wearing expensive clothes or make-up, her black hair that used to fall in waves down her shoulders was now tied up in messy ponytails.

"What?" He asked impatiently, just wanting a moments peace from everybody, Bobby already nagging in his ear everyday. She glared at his sharp question, to which he sighed and decided to shut up and let her speak.

"Don't pretend you don't care John." She ordered, crossing her arms accordingly. He scoffed, wearing a fake smirk that seemed to be quite malicious.

"Believe me, I'm not pretending." He hissed lowly, attempting to turn around carry on walking. Again he was stopped in his tracks, but there was no tight grip on his shoulder, there wasn't any human contact as Johanna forced him to twist himself around to look at her, hand raised. She was now telekinetic, just like Dr Grey.

He sighed slowly, realising he couldn't run from this. She dropped her hand once he made a faint nod, confirmation that he wouldn't run off again. Now that she had his attention again, she seemed nervous, avoiding his dark eyes as she quickly shoved a small object into his hand, enclosing his fingers over the top of it before he could protest at the contact.

"She would've wanted you to have it. I don't know what it is or why she kept it, all I know, is that this was the last thing her mother ever gave to her before she went to the foster home." She stated with sadness in her tone, she really missed her best friend, she wanted her to come home. With one last look at John, she walked back down the hall towards the stairs.

He watched her briefly, before gazing down at the object she had placed in his hand. It was a tiny plastic figurine, one that he was fifty per cent sure was meant to signify the Greek god Poseidon. He stared at the painted plastic, the majestic blue robe that sparkled in the overhead lights, the old but powerful glare look on the tiny Poseidon's face.

"Hey!" He called after Johanna, who looked back with hope in her eyes, but it was squished straight away as she saw the wicked smirk on his face.

"I don't want it."

He stated simply, dropping the plastic figurine on the floor in front of him before storming off down the corridor. The tiny ting the little figurine made forced tears to cloud her eyes, she at least thought he might understand that the offering was to call a truce between them, once and for all, after the amount of time she had blamed him for Sam leaving.

But he didn't understand, he didn't _want_ to understand. The smirk had disappeared as soon as he turned around, it replaced with a scowl as he forced himself to walk away, to leave the little figurine that had caused a brief millisecond of closure.

He didn't want closure, he wanted to forget her, forget she ever existed. He decreed he wasn't going to mope around like a heart-broken child, no, he was going to be the same John Allerdyce before she had tripped over his outstretched foot. He was going to cause trouble, disrupt class whenever he could, skip lessons for hours at a time. It was the only way to distract his mind away from her, even if it meant everyone thinking he was a dick.

He didn't care...he just didn't care anymore.

* * *

**I realise just how horrible John was being at that part, but I'm trying to make it more like pyro in x-men 2 but with the slight flickers of his personality change in x-men 3. That sounds weird. I will introduce Aqua next chapter, but I wanted to show the beginning of X-men but also how everyone was after she left.**

**this has just hit 3,000 views already! Thank you so much!**

**please review as always,**

**~Gothgirlstrikesagain **


	15. Littlest Things

**I'm back again! **

**Thank you to Tiger mutant for reviewing, I guessed it might have been a good reaction, in a way, but thanks for the confirmation XD.**

**Finally some Aqua in this chapter! I'm unsure about her character development, it seems a little...more powerful than it should be in a sense, and quite different from before. I don't know. I kind of was thinking like Magneto had brainwashed her into thinking the brotherhood and his plans were right and Professor X and peace were wrong, since we've been learning about child soldiers in geography which is a horrible modern issue, but I kind of see it like that.**

**I've got another story of sorts in the works, I'm not uploading a first chapter though, I'm trying a new tactic of writing a few chapters and then having time to go over them and then write more.**

**its meant to be a post-avengers type AU with Loki escaping from Asgard...but there's a problem with the spell, and well, let's say that Kid!Loki is a brat about it XD. I really wanted a hand at writing a kid!loki fic but like I always end up doing I've written an oc to go with it as a babysitter. Tell me if you would like to see this as I kind unsure about it, it's in a different writing style than I normally do.**

**I've been addicted to this song for a while now, I don't really like Jay-z or Rihanna that much but this song just keeps getting stuck in my head.**

**disclaimer: I only own ocs**

**with that done, on with the chapter...**

* * *

_Life's a game, but it's not fair,  
I break the rules, so I don't care,  
So I keep doin' my own thing,  
Walkin' tall against the rain,_

_Victory's within the mile,  
Almost there, don't give up now,  
Only thing that's on my mind,  
Is who's gonna run this town tonight,_

_Jay-Z ~ Run This Town_

* * *

I leaned against the metal wall in silence, bored out of my mind as Toad continually sprayed the cylinder-looking decoration, the spray can quickly gliding up and down.

He didn't seem adapt at health and safety, only wearing goggles that made his already bug-like eyes massive, quite humorous if the rest of his face wasn't so sickly looking. He didn't wear a mask even though there was likely toxins in the spray that could be inhaled, then again, I didn't know whether mutants were effected by such things.

Toad was a disgusting little twerp, but I played nice the best I could, if best counted for common exchanges of insults and pranks. Magneto stated numerous times that when the time came, I might just have to rely on Toad to help me not die and me to him. However, I think silently be both agreed if the time did come, we might just _accidentally _be unable to help.

"Take a picture...it'll last longer."

His cocky voice pulled me out of my thoughts, these being of Toad being torn to pieces by Wolverine, which had brought a delightful smirk onto my face. He had turned around to look at me, a sly grin that revealed yellow rotting teeth, clearly suggesting something that wanted to make me gag.

I played along, this was the best entertainment there was when I couldn't leave the island.

"Think I'll pass. Pretty sure toads don't turn into princes, they just stay the annoying little shits they are." I countered, a sarcastic smile on my face before I scowled again. He shrugged his shoulders, returning back to his spraying as he couldn't be bothered to banter with me.

Again I was resulted to boredom, the island extremely monotonous (a complicated word I had learnt from Magneto) after a year. It was hard to believe it had been so long, finding that I had used most of it either performing tasks Magneto had set up for me or to practise combat with Mystique.

I was always trying to do more than I should be able to do, she was a much better teacher than Wolverine, but she was also (surprisingly) less patient. I knew she was simply teaching me the basics. I may have been accepted as a member of the brotherhood, but I had a long way to go to prove my loyalty.

And I desperately wanted to prove loyalty, the brotherhood had already given me so much, it was time to repay them.

Thuds erupted from down one of the corridors, my eyes snapping in the direction, having to lean to the side as Toad and his sprayed cylinder were in the way. Sabretooth stormed through the round room, clearly heading to tell Magneto his failure to capture the mutant.

I was glad I wasn't him.

"Weren't you meant to bring someone back?" Toad mocked, an agitated roar of warning escaping from Sabretooth's fang infested mouth. Toad wasn't fazed, returning to spraying yet again after another interruption. I glared at the back of his head, a mischievous smirk spreading across my face.

Silently, I breathed in deeply, squeezing water out of my body to collect into my left hand. I didn't do the trick often, because I needed to replenish with fresh water afterwards in case dehydration weakened me. But at a time such as this, I was willing to risk it. The water danced in my palm, silently growing in size as more water squeezed out of my organs and into congregating ball.

With one thrust, a bucket sized flood of water splashed over Toad's head, the water dripping down to create the only sound in the room which travelled loudly. He stood motionless in mid-spray with a dreary sigh. He really despised my rare moments of childish behaviour, as it usually ended up with him being at the brunt of some sort of prank.

I stifled my snickering with a hand over my mouth, even more so as he turned around with a blank but easily detectable agitated expression.

"You missed a spot." I quipped, pushing myself off the wall as I followed after Sabretooth. Toad's face surveyed as I ambled around and down the circular corridor, poking his long tongue in my direction before retracting it back into his mouth.

He shook his head like a wet dog, the water droplets collecting on the metallic floor with little patters. He resumed to spray, wondering why he hadn't spat his slime in my face yet.

He would try at some point, when Magneto and Mystique's back was turned.

He wasn't going to be outsmarted by a teenager.

As I marched down the corridor, I heard parts of Sabretooth and Magneto's conversation, and weirdly Magneto was only irritated at the failed capture. However, I distinctly heard a name that made my blood boil, even if Magneto used it with a knowing tone.

Charles Xavier, he was still meddling with humans, trying to find a peace between humanity and mutants. When would he learn humans didn't want peace, they wanted to test, experiment and destroy every mutant on the planet.

Humans wanted a war. And apparently a war they were going to get.

"Where is the mutant now?" Magneto asked evenly, to which Sabretooth replied just as I stepped through the door.

"With them." He answered gruffly. I waited by the entrance, not wanting to interrupt the conversation, Magneto possibly thinking I was prying. I wasn't. I wanted to know if it was finally time.

After a year of seeing nothing but rock, metal and water...I wanted freedom, to walk on concrete ground under the magnificent skyscrapers. I hated humanity, but I couldn't help but respect their imagination on democracy and growth. If it wasn't for growth, Magneto's power would be useless, nearly everything was made of metal nowadays.

Magneto's gaze briefly rested on me from behind Sabretooth, his mind ticking over what was the best way to proceed as he sat at his desk, the metal balls clinking as they usually did when he was in the room.

"I have made the first move. That is all they know. Come, the UN summit is approaching." He said after thinking over a probably next move, stepping out of the metal chair as he approached Sabretooth, both of them turning around to look at me.

Sabretooth bared his fangs when he realised I had overheard the conversation. A year ago the sight would have turned my legs to jelly, now, I didn't think twice about angering him further, because he would never truly attack me unless permission was granted by Magneto.

"Did the big bad kitty loose it's prey?" I mocked, pouting at the resentful hairy face of Sabretooth. Magneto simply carried on walking, allowing the hidden insult be said, this being the punishment for not bringing the mutant.

"Time for our little test." He called back to me and Sabretooth, who glared at me with his black irises before stomping over to the desk, collecting what sounded like a metal necklace, however I couldn't quite see what it actually was. As Sabretooth snatched it, the clinking balls fell and rolled off the desk.

"Pip squeak." He growled as he crashed into my shoulder, causing a large amount of pain, however I winced through it, I didn't want to look weak in front of the _big bad kitty_. I wanted to counter, glaring at the animal as it marched proudly after Magneto.

I could feel the energy in my fingers tingle with the anticipation to drown Sabretooth on his own bodily fluid. With as much willpower as I could muster, I clenched my hands into fists to stop the water seeping through the invisible cracks in the flesh of my fingers. Instead, I walked purposely towards the room with the lake water, needing to replenish my own water supply before my skin started to dry out.

That was the flaw I had with these new powers, they drained me, drained my own physical being. But it was a price worth paying as every new trick I learnt made me more confident in fights against my old teachers, there was no doubt in my mind that they would protect the mutant, and I was more than ready to face them.

I couldn't face the others though. Not yet.

The people I had blocked out of my mind, but they still managed to invade my sleep with memories of the days when my power was merely child's play. I had learnt to ignore the feeling in my gut to go back, but it took everything in me in the first couple of months, however, now all I had to do was imagine a brighter future for mutants while humanity got what it deserved.

There were times I would disagree with the notion, thinking all I wanted was to make the people that had tested on me and other mutants to suffer, but as Mystique had told me, humanity wouldn't rest until every mutant was destroyed.

I promised Isaac I would fight an army to protect him...humanity was the army, and I was sure as hell going to fight, even if it meant fighting the X-men.

As I reached the room, now fitted with Magneto's glorious machine, I kneeled next to the right side of the walkway. I didn't dare take my clothes off and go for a swim, not with Toad and his sickening wandering eyes.

I had to learn that the hard way.

Gently, I pulled up my jumper sleeve to reveal my pinkish pigment arm, the healed scar that had been caused by Sabretooth a year ago a constant reminder of the day I first joined the brotherhood. If I wished I could just heal it completely, but I wanted to keep it, like a badge of honour.

Slowly I lowered my hand into the freezing water, sighing as the tiny water snakes glided up my arm and under the layers of clothing, seeping along my whole body as the clothes began feeling damp. I didn't care, the relief caused by the glistening strands clouded the dampness of the fabric. I felt the strands finally sink inside the flesh of my chest, arms, legs and finally into my neck.

It was the kick I needed.

For a few moments I slowly swirled my hand in the liquid, keeping it submerged as the water particles whispered to each other. I grew accustomed to this murmuring. I studied my reflection as the particles talked to each other, clearly not wanting to talk to me just yet or they would make themselves more clear.

My hair was still the many shades of blue and purple, but had grown longer, the tips now reaching the small of my back, this being irritating sometimes so I usually tied it up in a side platt.

My face held no prominent scars or cracks of dried flesh once the water had revived me, but I never wanted it to be perfect, only collecting enough so I looked the same before I joined the brotherhood; the dark shade under my eyes from lack of sleep, the odd hormonal encouraged spots.

The tomboy look stayed, a camouflaged styled jacket with cut off sleeves with the stitches hanging loosely on my shoulders, a tight fitting black undershirt which would enclose the water if I didn't have my abilities and baggy black trousers that hid large military style boots.

I stared at the reflection, not even recognising the girl that stared back at me.

_Woman._

The _woman_ that stared back at me. I wasn't a child anymore.

I smirked. This was the confidence I had needed most of my life, now I had finally found it with the brotherhood.

_It's starting...the war is starting..._

The water finally spoke, every particle clubbing together to repeat these words so I could hear. I shushed them into calmness as waves began to form on the surface, the particles chatting excitedly. They did as I commanded and became still once more.

I raised my hand out and let the droplets splash into the lake again, the rest that where supposed to wrinkle my skin crawled inside and smoothed it out again.

"Time to prepare for Senator Kelly...can't _wait_ to meet him." I mumbled to myself, finding I did it often if Mystique wasn't around for little chats.

Even with her inability to show nearly any emotions, when it came to talking about humans and the mistreatment towards mutants, she was ready to speak her hatred and sometimes even mentions of her past.

In truth, there was nothing I could possibly do to show how grateful I was for her finding me in that alleyway of despair.

All I could do, however, was help bring about a new age. Even if a molecule part of me didn't want it, but wanted to return to the X-mansion and be a student again. But I couldn't go back. Not now. I'd be an outcast, a traitor, and who would want to be simply known as that?

No-one...no-one wants to be nameless.

* * *

John barely listened to Professor Monroe's droning voice that went on about the civil war as he knew the new student was sat behind him. Rumours had quickly spread around school about her, and apparently she'd only arrived a few hours ago.

He couldn't hide his own intrigue on why the X-men had brought her, normally Professor X would go out and find them or they would voluntarily run away and find the mansion themselves.

Either way, he thought he would give her a _warm _welcome.

When Professor Monroe turned her back on the class as she wrote on the chalkboard, John quickly clicked his lighter open behind his back and sparked the flame that ignited into a burning ball in his hand. He tried to turn his head to the side to see her face, but couldn't quite get it to turn without her noticing, even if the ball had mesmerised her.

Strangely, he felt a cold breeze collect around his hand. He had realised too late as Bobby's ice crystals froze his flame ball and send it crashing to the ground, earning John himself to jolt in shock as everyone's eyes turned on him. On cue Professor Monroe also turned around and instantly her quizzical eyes rested on him, knowing he was the one to interrupt the class.

"John, pay attention." She ordered in her calm tone, however the authority was detectable.

"Sorry Miss." He quickly apologised before he even knew the words had fallen off his tongue. Since when did he apologise? Maybe it was just a spur of the moment. He didn't turn around and glare at Bobby, mainly because he was already talking to the new girl.

"Hi, I'm Bobby...what's your name?" He asked in that kind voice of his, one that grated John as he hadn't used it in a while, normally it was an accusing tone.

"Rogue." The new girl answered, and John could detect a deep southern accent.

"Welcome to mutant high." Bobby joked, to which John rolled his eyes...he had stolen the nickname off him. John resumed his semi-listening state back to Professor Monroe, most of his attention focused on his lighter that was still gripped in his fingers, the object slowly turning in his fingertips.

As soon as the class was over, John rushed to pull his bag over his shoulder and turned around to leave. Catching a glance at the new girl, compared to some mutants, she looked quite plain with her brown hair and slightly pale features, but then again if she was at the school then she clearly wasn't plain.

They locked eyes for a second, John using the small amount of time to smirk and wink at Rogue. Uncomfortably she looked away, standing up and walking out of the classroom before people could bustle past her.

He received evil eyes off Kitty and Jubilee, Bobby wearing a simple stern look. He ignored all of them, pushing past most of the students who were trying to escape out of the double doors. Multiple times he heard protests as he shoved people out the way, but they quickly deteriorated the further away he got.

"John wait up." Bobby called, jogging to catch up with the pyromaniac. John carried on walking, ignoring the iceman beside him who kept up with his increasing pace.

"Hey." He protested, gripping John's arm in an act to stop him, ice forming on his hand from the tight grip. Shrugging the hand off, John turned to face his one friend, finding that he wondered why he was still his friend after all the crap he had said over the course of the year.

Bobby took a steady step closer to John, attempting to wear a firm but fair look, better than the one he had worn moments before. John tried to copy it, and found he wore it much better than Bobby.

"Creating a fireball in class is one thing, but harassing Rogue isn't some game." He stated, clearly trying to warn John off. John scoffed, taking his own step forward as younger kids sprinted past the two in their confrontation.

"Hardly harassment...all I did was introduce myself, I'm Pyro after all." He argued, thinking he had the upper hand. But Bobby had another trick up his sleeve, he had the truth behind John's behaviour.

"Try and act like the big man all you want, like you don't have feelings, but I know this is all just a front. I know _you_. You're not the only one who's blaming themselves for Sam leaving. Johanna can't go through a week without crying, Isaac spends more time in the library alone than in classes, Kitty still has moments of falling through the floor and I'm using all my willpower to not punch you in the face." Bobby finished, his one hand that had involuntarily clenched itself as he spoke.

Sometimes all he had to do was see John's smirk and it would send him into a silent rage, because he thought he was being selfish, not caring about what anybody else was feeling.

He missed Sam, yes she had hurt someone, but they should've been there to stop her before it happened. He hated himself for snapping at her when at the club, he would give anything to take it back. But the another part of him knew he was angry that she hadn't come back, that she'd stayed with the brotherhood Isaac was always going on about.

"You see, that's your problem Bobby." John spoke with a chuckle, leaning into Bobby's face with a glare in his eyes. "You're all bark and no bite." He seethed, walking away before Bobby could counter. Bobby breathed heavily as to keep the anger inside him, his fist again becoming ice as he clenched it tighter.

John just wanted to be far away from everyone.

Three times he had been stopped by people who had talked about her.

Three times he had walked away with them hating him.

He didn't want them to hate him, he didn't like the things he was saying, but how else was he supposed to get them off his back about her?

Maybe her spirit would never go away, someone who remembered her would look at him and say _he's the guy who went out with the girl who went with the brotherhood_, and he shouldn't care if they did, but he didn't want to be associated with her anymore. As he had said to Isaac, _she_ made the choice, _she _left...it wasn't his fault that she'd left her memories behind to follow the people that knew her.

_Just stop thinking about her, people will stop eventually..._

He convinced himself, wondering why it was so difficult to forget just one girl, he'd managed to forget his sister, why not his ex-girlfriend?

He scolded himself for that, even the term ex-girlfriend made his teeth grind as once he honestly thought there wouldn't be an _ex_ in front of it. But he had done what his sister had always told him, what his parents had always told him before they abandoned him when his mutation reached critical:

He had ruined it, just like he ruined everything.

Bobby was right, no matter how much he tried to deny it, he felt responsible for Sam leaving. He didn't know why exactly, he hadn't done anything wrong except be a terrible listener...and also not able to see when Sam was scared...or sad...or alone.

Emotions were bullshit, that was his definition of them:

Bullshit.

All they ever did was make you feel happy and high for a few brief moments, and then you crashed and realise your life was a mess...so emotions were like drugs, a quick fix and you're on top of the world, next minute you wished you were never born.

_I seriously need to stop talking to myself..._

John sighed, turning a corner in the direction of the library. He wanted to find Isaac, he didn't know why, something just pushed him to see the kid. He was about to reach out and grab the door handle, but a pinch in his gut told him not to. For a moment he was confused, after all, Isaac was always in the library.

_Maybe his dorm...is that where I'm supposed to go?_

He questioned his own thoughts, however he turned around and began walking in the direction of Isaac's dorm. He didn't know what made him stop, nor did he know why he thought to go to his dorm, either way it wasn't too far away and within ten minutes he was banging on the door.

His knocks were met with silence, odd, John would honestly be surprised if he was in class. He made another series of knocks, and again went unanswered.

Normally he would just walk away, either the kid had already seen him do this with his future seeing crap, or he just wasn't in there. But something told him he was, and the strange sensation seemed more like paranoia as he didn't honestly understand why he was so determined to see the kid.

"Kid if you're in there, I just wanna talk."

_For some messed up reason..._

He added in his head, telling himself that he should just walk away. As a last resort he tried turning the door handle, seeing that it did open and he stepped inside gingerly. He peaked his head around the door, the main room deserted but was filled with comic book character figurines and other assorted merchandise.

_Someone has an obsession..._

He mocked, but found that his wandering eyes rested on what he believed to be the bathroom door. His feet moved on their own accord as he stormed over to the closed door, pressing an ear against it. He heard no distinct noises.

"Kid you in there? This is probably a really bad time but I need to talk to you...I have absolutely no idea why." He mumbled the last part to himself, having knocked on the door as he spoke. However yet again he went unanswered.

_Just leave..._

He commanded himself, and he was about to obey when shouts exploded from within the bathroom.

"Don't so it, don't do it, don't do it! It'll kill him!"

The screams (even though mumbled by the door and possibly some other object) nearly sent John flying backwards, cursing under his breath as he forced his heart not to beat so quickly. He desperately tried turning the door handle, the screams followed loud splashes in a ferocious manner.

"Isaac open the door!" John shouted frantically, but he guessed Isaac couldn't hear him.

Was he seeing the future?

"Sammy he's lying to you, he's just earning your trust, he's twisting everything!"

More shouts of the subject he didn't have a clue on, but the name brought rage that he used to bash against the door, trying to pry it open as he slammed his shoulder into it. After the tenth blow at the door, the lock snapped and John stumbled head first inside, shoulder pulsing with future bruises.

But instantly he stood up again, finding the bath tub where Isaac thrashed under the boiling water. He was dressed, his clothes clearly weighing him down as they were completely drenched. John stood awestruck for a moment, the dazzling gills with their ocean blue scales shimmering in the light.

Without thinking, John heaved Isaac to sit up with his hands clenched around one shoulder. He groaned as the weight of the water (along with Isaac's clothing) made it seem as if he was lifting heavy weights.

Isaac gasped and his eyes shot open as clear air engulfed him. Because he moved so suddenly, John lost his grip and fell backwards, his bag slipping off his shoulder and resting limply on the tiled floor beside him, his lighter also falling out of his back pocket and skidding along the shiny surface.

John breathed heavily, not only did his shoulder feel dislodged, but his arms ached due to the sudden strength to pull Isaac out of the water. Within moments of re-surfacing, Isaac's gills slithered back into his skin, Isaac himself staring wide-eyed at John.

"Machine...UN summit...Liberty Island..." Isaac mumbled incoherently to himself, even with him looking directly at John, he still couldn't fathom he was there as his mind was still in the future.

He had seen it, seen Rogue strapped to the evil machine as it forced the mutant gene to work faster, attempting to change all the powerful leaders into mutants. But it wouldn't work...it would kill them. And only Isaac knew that little detail.

"You..." He spoke directly to John, now seeing the familiar pyromaniac sighing heavily on the floor. "You idiot! Don't you know how dangerous it is to pull someone out mid-future seeing?"

It was a rhetorical question because Isaac knew he didn't know, he just had to blame him for nearly killing him. Well, honestly he didn't know himself whether it would kill him, all he knew was that it was like when someone sleepwalks, you don't wake them up.

"No I don't bloody know! But I was at least expecting a little gratitude!" He argued back, massaging his shoulder gingerly as it pained to even touch it, there would definitely be angry bruises later.

Of course the kid wouldn't be thankful, why would he? He hated him.

"Gratitude? I was fine. This is what I have to put up with every time! Everyone wants to know their future, everyone wants _me_ to tell them their future. I'm torturing myself to just find out whether my sister is okay!" He shouted, pulling himself slowly out of the bath tub with jelly arms.

His clothes scattered water all over the tiled floor as he stepped out, John's (even though slightly damp from the splashes that occurred pulling Isaac up) trousers dampened as water seeped underneath him.

"Why do you bother? She doesn't care about you if she left you, alone, again." He grumbled, also pulling himself to his feet, attempting to pick up his bag and lighter. Unfortunately, he turned around (with his bag and lighter safely in his pocket) to Isaac about to punch him. On instinct he gripped the raised wrist, also quickly going to grab the other one as it swung at him.

_What the hell kid, I know I'm a dick but you're too small to try and hit me!_

He half-mocked half-strained as Isaac's hands thrashed in his grip.

"She didn't leave me alone on purpose! She had no choice but to leave, the future was already written, she had to join them!" He snarled, even with his promise to not tell anyone the future, he was already doing a poor job. Eventually he gave up trying to punch John to a pulp, finding the older teenager too strong, even with his sudden growth spurt.

With a grunt, he flicked his arms out of John's grip, taking a step back to create a space between the two of them.

"I wouldn't expect you to understand. True, the future isn't set in stone and it can be changed, but there are events and accidents that happen to push someone towards their appropriate destiny. It's like everyone has their own unique purpose; Sammy's was to leave that night. But I can't tell you anymore of her future, it would mean you could change it which is not a good idea." He explained, extremely pissed off that one, John had successfully humiliated him by pulling him out of the water and stopping his punches and two, he had let himself say too much about future seeing.

He hated keeping it to himself, but like he said, it was his purpose to see the future as to make sure everything happened accordingly.

One wrong move, everything would be lost.

He didn't like the future, the far future, mutants on the verge of collapse...but there was a small hope that it could be saved from the past.

But then technically it would have already happened? Or the future being re-written from the past meant they had to get to the future first, right?

Timelines were so confusing, that's another thing he hated, his mind ached with the amount of thinking he had to do every time something new was seen in his future-seeing.

"Bullshit, it wasn't some divine destiny that made her leave, all it was was _her_ being selfish and thinking nobody suffered more than her." John said cynically, the words spilling off his tongue before he could think, and his ex-girlfriend's brother looked as if he was about make his head explode. He quickly raised his hands up defensively, really wishing that sometimes he thought before he spoke.

"I didn't mean that." He lied, Isaac glaring at him hatefully before sighing, head bowed to the floor with his shoulders stooped.

"I know you meant it. And in some ways, you're right, but I want to believe my sister is still in there, I have to or no-one else will." He said hollowly, shivering slightly as the coldness finally sunk into his skin, goosebumps appearing under his damp clothes.

"Whatever you have against me, I deserve it, but...you're not-" John stuttered, unable to let the words escape his mouth, but luckily Isaac wore a meek smile to show his gratitude that he was trying.

"Look, don't just mope around like the world's ending. You've got to move on, no matter how hard it is, you can't let people bring you down." John said encouragingly, but knew his words would mean nothing to the teen. Isaac didn't even look up, he simply turned around and placed a hand in the lessened water, tiny flickers of memories sprouting in his mind, just by the tiniest touch.

Feeling it was time to leave, John swiftly turned around and tried to escape the awkward air. Unfortunately for him, Isaac snapped his head in his direction and spoke urgently.

"She'll come back."

John stopped abruptly, twisting around to look back at Isaac, seeing a weird ancient expression that could match Professor X's. He wasn't exactly depressed, but his eyes glistened with future tears, and the tiniest faked smile cracked onto his face.

"She _will_ come back." Isaac repeated, even though he already had John's full attention. "I've seen it. But it'll take a while for her to realise." He said, vaguely giving any direct information. With John's mouth slightly ajar, Isaac could tell he was trying to tick over and comprehend what he had just said.

"How long?" He murmured, gritting his teeth as his mind screamed for him to leave, to not care if she did return. But he was disobeying, he was disobeying his own mind because somewhere else told him differently...he hated how cliché that sounded.

"I can't-" Isaac stuttered, shaking his head because yet again he had said too much. He felt John deserved to know that Sammy would come back, but it wouldn't be for a _long_ time.

_Next time, I need to just keep my mouth shut..._

He scolded, seeing that John wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"How. Long."

It wasn't a question. It was a very clear command, one that physically made Isaac gulp.

"A few years, that's all I can tell you." He croaked, this not being the answer John wanted as he shook his head violently.

"Then why tell me? By then I would have forgotten her completely, same as everybody else." He hissed, now walking out of the dorm without looking back, slamming the front door shut.

* * *

I sighed, sometimes I missed the solitary confinement of the laboratory, it meant I didn't have to socialise with people, which was one of the hardest things to do at a school where anyone could kill you in a split second if they so wished.

"You owe me a broken lock..." I mumbled, pulling the plug out of the bath tub and letting the water swirl away, the final gulp of the plug hole something that reminded me of a human burp. The comparison amused me, but the shivers that erupted over my skin forced me to leave the bathroom and put on dry clothes.

I thought it was time to lay off the future-seeing for a while. To just _wing it _as Connor had told me, the vocabulary something I was struggling to get used to, and being around Elijah wasn't helping.

As I yanked the drenched t-shirt off, I couldn't help but look at my bare skin in the mirror, seeing a thin mass of hair sprouting from my chest. I groaned. Puberty was another thing I had to deal with. Apparently almost dying, being a lab rat, losing a sister and being a future-seer weren't enough.

I wouldn't dare take a peak downstairs.

Instead I just slipped on a black turtle neck jumper that Bobby had given me, a pair of plain blue jeans and some old fashioned black shoes curtsy of Elijah. None of the clothes felt right, I wasn't into all that neat fashion, I had lived with the idea that second hand clothes were a miracle.

I missed that, missed the simplicity that was the old farmhouse with its eroding grey bricks and cottage-like wonky design. It surprised me how the little things I remembered the most, another example being how Sammy would always give me some extra food from her plate when Mom wasn't looking, the little hollow smile on her eight year old face.

Those little things that people took for granted, but I cherished them even more everyday, trying to remember more of those little things. But I couldn't, the ones I did were just fragments because I had been so young, the earliest memory I could find was me sinking his nails into Mom's skin when I nearly drowned.

It was a horrible first memory, but it was stuck in my head and replayed repeatedly like on an old record player, the needle jammed.

She knew.

She knew about my mutation after that moment, it was never the water that scared me, it was always those gills that sprouted out of my neck like some disease. Sometimes I considered myself lucky that she didn't actually try and drown me, after all, finding out your child was a mutant was normally thought of as a death sentence.

But she didn't.

She never told anyone about it, not even Sammy, but then again she must have known her mutation too. It was strange how all the puzzle pieces slotted together, years of trying to figure out why dad left, why he hated mutants, but the more I knew, the more ignorant I wanted to be.

Ignorance is bliss and all that.

I moaned, the crippling migraine forming behind my eyes. I decided to just have a nap, like I had originally planned to do, but found I had to try and find Sammy one last time.

I scurried under the thin sheets, staring at the ceiling as my eyes tried to flutter closed they were so worn down. In the end, I let them, because I honestly welcomed sleep after all that had happened that day.

And it was only just starting.

* * *

**Did anyone get the 'time line' reference. If not, it's meant to be a slight thingy towards the messed up timeline of the X-men films, I thought it would note retina to add it in in some way. I'm not good with humour, but seeing as I loathe growing up, I thought it would be fun or awkward to add it, but also to show that Isaac is growing up.**

**Thats all for now, can't wait until next chapter!**

**~GothGirlStrikesAgain **


	16. God Among Insects

**another update!**

**i realise this is quite a short one, but I just wanted the senator kelly scene. It might be a while again before I upload, mainly because I'm back at square one of not having a spare update set up as I'm writing the next chapter, no biggy.**

**T****his song is mainly because a friend introduced me to anime, mainly black butler, which I have been watching non-stop for a while and I'm just addicted to this song. **

**Thanks to Tiger Mutant for yet another lovely review! :) **

**disclaimer: I only own ocs**

**with that done, on with the chapter...**

* * *

_When I'm bored to death at home,_

_When he won't pick up the phone,_

_When I'm stuck in second place,_

_Those regrets I can't erase,_

_Only I can change the end,_

_Of the movie in my head,_

_There's no time for misery,_

_I won't feel sorry for me,_

_I'm Alive, I'm Alive, oh yeah, _

_Between the good and bad is where you'll find me,_

_Reaching for heaven,_

_I will fight, and I'll sleep when I die,_

_I'll live my life, ohhh!_

_Becca ~ I'm Alive_

* * *

I watched as Mystique dragged in the unconscious Senator Kelly, the way she simply dumped him in the metal chair, his well-groomed body slumping in the seat. I glared at the cowardly man, the one who made Toad's gag-worthy tongue seem more truthful than the words that spilled off the Senator's in his mini speeches against mutants.

I almost wondered why Magneto was wasting his time and energy to change the cockroach, after all, to me he would make a sorry excuse for a mutant even if the change was successful.

"Aqua, be a dear and wake him up."

Mystique's echoed voice spoke from the doors of the machine, giving me a sly smirk I couldn't see as my back faced her. She could see my body tense as I stared at Kelly, it being a while since I was in close proximity with a human, but then it was my first high ranking human.

I had been standing by Toad (much to my disgust as I hated the twerp), who crouched on a small boulder by the bare tree, it's branches dead as the roots protruded out of the rock.

I didn't need to be told twice, marching forward as my hand clenched into a fist. Seeing as the rocks had been placed on the centre of the water, I simply stepped onto the murky substance and kept walking purposely. The water kept me steady, a few murmurs of protest at my weight but I was the only one who could hear it, the sounds of nature being the only sounds the others could hear.

I suppose Mystique was expecting me to dowse him with water, but that wouldn't be enough for the satisfaction I wanted. I stepped in front of his slowly wakening form, taking the chance, I swiftly pulled my clenched hand back and connected it with his jaw, sending a jolt of impact against my knuckles.

The Senator immediately cried out because of the quick pain, breathing heavily as he snapped his head around his surroundings. He was scared, good. His eyes rested on me, perplexed at being hit by someone so young, but then, he guessed I was with the mutant who had taken Henry.

My knuckles clicked as I slackened my hand, the bone aching from the impact with Kelly's surprisingly stiff jaw. I ignored the pain, the satisfaction was worth it.

He calmed himself down slowly after I walked over to Sabretooth behind Kelly, thinking I would get a better view from there and because I didn't want to be by Toad for another second. We waited patiently as Kelly regained what composure he was trying to find, everyone silent as they relished in the chance to capture the man who had spoken about mutants like they were vermin.

A bird warbling caught my attention, this bird balancing on the higher branches of the dead tree, the beautiful white feathers memorising me as I had only been subjected to grey colours for a year. Kelly also looked over, but this was because Toad had snapped his head towards the bird. In one swift second, the bird was trapped in Toad's flicking tongue, disappearing into his mouth as he bit into the damned beauty, the crunch of its bones making me wince.

"I hate it when you do that." I stated in disgust, Toad simply shrugging his shoulders. Kelly also found it horrific, making a typical _euch! _sound as he shifted his body straight again, refusing to look in the direction of Toad.

"Toad has a wicked tongue, Senator. Just like you." Magneto's voice appeared behind me, but I didn't look, I knew he would walk straight past me and Sabretooth as he greeted the Senator.

"Apologies for Aqua's behaviour, when it comes to homosapiens such as yourself...she can be a little _hostile_."

He wasn't remotely apologetic, it made light conversation but also a silent warning to me to refrain from performing such brash actions in the future. I casted my eyes to the floor as Magneto strode past, his presence creating an authority that I knew better than to disobey.

A smirk spread across my face as Mystique stood beside Magneto who faced Kelly, an arm draped around his shoulder, if only he knew the extent of what she would do for him.

"Who are you people? Where's Henry?" The Senator asked, his fear easily detectable.

"Mr Guyrich has been dead for some time, Senator." Magneto enlightened, a tight smirk spreading across his wrinkled face. "But I've had Mystique here keep you company, she takes so many shapes." He quipped, gently placing his old hand atop Mystique's on his shoulder.

"Whatever you do to me, you'll make me right. Every word I've spoken will be confirmed." Kelly debated, thinking he had Magneto by stating this. I chuckled to myself, Sabretooth flaring his nostrils as a grunt escaped, to which I was quiet again, but I couldn't hide the smirk that was on my face.

The idea that Senator Kelly being right was laughable, true, torture, death or forced dehydration might make humanity think mutants dangerous...but what Magneto was planning for the Senator and all the people at the UN summit would confirm they had a right to be scared of them, but that would make them scared of themselves which was just perfect.

Mystique and Magneto shared a knowing gaze, Mystique walking around Kelly in a seductive but creepy manner, walking towards me and Sabretooth with the smirk still on her face. She winked at me as she took her place beside me, both of us listening to Magneto's words like they were the Ten Commandments.

"Are you a God-fearing man, Senator? It's such a strange phrase. I've always thought of God as a teacher. As a bringer of light, wisdom and understanding." Magneto continued, shaking his head accordingly as he found the phrase preposterous. I for one stopped believing a bearded man in the sky was meant to be worshipped, he did not guide people, he did not punish the bad, he did not create miracles.

It had been more than once that Magneto told me I was a god among insects, but I never truly believed it, being a god meant responsibility, meant having to listen to the insects' prayers...why would I want to?

I wondered whether he still believed his beliefs, I knew nothing of his past, he blatantly refused to say anything on the subject and I was too fearful to ask. However, I had seen the numbers marked on his skin in black ink, and spending the time in the old library reading books...I knew what they meant.

Sometimes, Elijah crossed my mind, wondering if Magneto had known him, because Magneto always spoke of Charles Xavier who had known Elijah since he knew Magneto. These wonders went unanswered, and I let them sit at the back of my mind, they were useless childish questions that distracted me from the task ahead.

"You see, I think what you really are afraid of is _me_. Me and my kind. The brotherhood of mutants." He spoke lowly, eyes gazing over to Mystique, Sabretooth and me before returning back to Senator Kelly. By the look in his eyes and the little nod of his head, he was about to begin the test. I couldn't wait any longer, wanting to see the machine in all its glory, see if it was possible to speed up the mutation process.

Magneto was ready, turning around to walk slowly towards the machine, hands clasped together behind his back. Senator Kelly whimpered once as his chair moved with Magneto, his wrists and feet clasped down so he could only wriggle pathetically.

"It's not so surprising, really. Mankind has always feared what it doesn't understand. With fear comes capture and experiments, some of the barbaric procedures my fellow mutants have been put through through no fault of their own, truly sickens me." He continued as he looked up at the machine. I gulped, knowing he was meaning me, and it made painful memories of my Dad flash in front of my eyes.

A hand gripped my shoulder comfortingly, this being Mystique's as my eyes snapped to her. She didn't wear a smile, it was a blank expression on her blue face, but the slightest nod of her head was sign language that _it was okay_, I nodded my head slowly in a reply as my eyes casted back onto Kelly.

"Well, don't fear God, Senator, and certainly don't fear me...Not any more." Magneto said gruffly, opening the doors of the machine with a flick of his hand, the white lights turning on as he stepped inside. I wanted to see the fearful look on Kelly's face, to see the fear that once gripped me when ever I found myself by a lake, but that fear was no-more, I didn't fear anything anymore with the help of the brotherhood.

"What do you intend to do with me?" Kelly asked with an edge to his tone, clearly wondering what the hell the machine was. Magneto placed his hands on the two cylinder poles, a few clicks as his they were held in place as he gripped the metallic handles. He started to levitate as of he was in an elevator, his eyes cast down on Kelly as he said his final words to the _human _Kelly.

"Let's just say God works too slowly." He said as he was still levitating upwards. I caught my breath as more urgent clicks began to echo around the rock structures, the machine coming to life as Magneto's face strained.

_Isaac knows, Isaac knows, Isaac knows!_

My eyes snapped to the lake-like water, seeing how it waved and twisted in a lively fast-moving pace. I had never heard it speak without a part of my body submerged, and I could tell it was difficult for the particles to scream the repeated sentence at me. The name winded my gut, especially when it was spoken through the whispering voice of water.

"What's it doing?" Mystique asked in a hasty whisper, clearly not wanting to disturb Magneto but couldn't ignore the distracted look on my face. I wouldn't answer, not yet, I was still trying to decipher what else the liquid was trying to warn me.

_He will not warn Xavier, he's letting the events happen...he knows the outcome!_

The more I listened the more confusing and difficult it was to understand. Squinting my eyes in an attempt to think what it could possibly mean, I thought about what it meant by _outcome_. Did it mean the test on Kelly? Did it mean the UN summit? Or did it mean the war that was bound to begin between mutants and humans?

"Aqua, what's going on?" Mystique hissed, irritated by my silence. I raised hand to shush the water into silence, and with much persuasion it became calm again, my hand dropping to my side suddenly as I turned to Mystique with a grim expression.

"Isaac knows about the machine, the test now, the UN summit...or that's what it's hinting at. But he won't tell Xavier, I don't know why, something about _he's letting the events happen_ whatever that means." I said quickly, stuttering as I tried to make it sound like I knew what I was saying, because I really didn't.

Mystique briefly seemed uneasy by this, however she quickly regained her composure and gripped my shoulder tighter, creating a little discomfort.

"If he won't tell the X-men...then we have nothing to worry about." She stated in an attempt to calm me, but that wasn't why I was tense, it was because he knew I had abandoned him to join the brotherhood. I had only been guessing before, maybe he thought I had run away into the human world, not with the people who had aided his escape from the labs, who wanted him to join the brotherhood too. It was betrayal. And the only comfort I had had was that he didn't know, but now it was confirmed he did, and that meant he likely despised me even more.

_I'm not Sam anymore, I'm no longer associated with that family, my family is the brotherhood as Aqua..._

I forced inside my head, blocking the guilt, but the emotions surrounding the thoughts about Isaac fought against the wave attack. I shook my head, deciding to focus on the test for now and let the newly discovered gossip distract me later.

While me and Mystique had been talking in hushed voices, Magneto and the machine had been continually getting to the peak point in which the mutation rapid growth could be released, the machine spinning n a chaotic frenzy as Magneto looked in pain as the wrongly was drained from him.

Dazzling swirls of pure white seeped from the top of the machine, slowly enclosing Magneto into the white ball, forcing me to cover my eyes with a hand as the light ached my eyes. With one quiet explosion, the white light broke away from the ball and showered the whole area in the white substance, the strands passing over everything within its released radius.

Kelly groaned as the whiteness engulfed him, even though it didn't effect is mutants who watched the mesmerising glow. Within a few moments of the explosion, the glow retracted back into the tip of the machine. I slowly lowered my hand, able to see that Magneto was hunched over the machine, taking in heavy gaps as he was brought back down to the floor of the open room again.

I felt a freezing chill slither through my body, a crystallised fog escaping my lips to confirm it was the dropped temperature and not me. Kelly sat motionless, speechless as the test was yet to be proved successful.

An overpowering urge made me rush down the walkway towards Magneto, who was still hunched over the machine in an exhausted manner. I stood by his side, wondering whether I should help remove his hands off the machine, help him stand up straight or even help him at all.

"Sir?" I asked in heavy breaths, worried that he was too weakened. After a while he straightened his back with a moan, turning to me with a small smile.

"How many times must I tell you? Trivial things such as higher ranking contexts do not need to be used to address me or any other member of the brotherhood, we are equal Aqua, however not quite everyone has the same...intellectual capabilities as others." He sighed, eyes casting to Toad and Sabretooth as he mentioned _intellectual capabilities_. I smiled back, glad that he at least hinted at regarding me higher than Toad. He groaned as he stood up, retracting his hands from the machine gingerly as they shook slightly.

I stayed by his side just in case he suddenly collapsed, he looked that worn. Instead, he stepped forward and inspected Kelly, not seeing any radical changes but he wasn't expecting them. With a chuckle, he motioned Sabretooth forward.

"Sabretooth, take our guest to his _accommodation_." He ordered, Sabretooth growling ruffle before stomping forward. He easily ripped off the metal clamps that were holding the Senator down, pulling the stunned Kelly over his shoulder as he stumbled back down the corridor towards Kelly's _accommodation_.

"Well that was anti-climatic." Toad butted in from his crouched spot on the rock. I was tempted to counter with _don't say words you don't know the meaning of _as he seemed to struggle to say the words with his tongue flicking out like a snake. However, I closed my mouth as Magneto turned to him, penetrating eyes that almost dared for Toad to speak again.

"There is nothing _anti-climatic _in the process of mutation, if anything it is marvelling, even if it concerns insects such as Senator Kelly." Magneto countered, shushing Toad into a glorious silence. He muttered something along the lines of _I'll go fix up the helicopter _before flicking his tongue to stick against the rock face, using it as rope to swing towards and stick to the rock structure. He then simply jumped down in a lazy manner and stormed past Mystique down the corridor. Fair to say I was happy to see the back of the twerp.

"There is more than one reason why he is named Toad." Magneto tsked with a shake of his head, bringing a grin to my face. I could tell that he was still drained, by the way he lacked his usual stood straight stance and because he was silently wondering why he had Toad amongst his brotherhood, the reason being one I couldn't find.

"Tell him Aqua."

Mystique's voice sounded a lot closer than it should, jolting me to look straight ahead to where she was standing in front of me. I hated it she she did stuff like that, suddenly appearing out of nowhere just to test whether I screamed or not, I wondered whether it was a lesson or torture. I stuttered on my own words as I thought about Isaac, and I could recognise that. Magneto and Mystique were both bored with my uneasy stuttering.

"My _brother,_ Isaac, I think he knows about the UN summit."

I finally managed to make a full sentence, nearly choking on _brother _as I hadn't used the term to describe Isaac in a long time. Magneto wasn't as tense as I thought he would be, seeing as I had blatantly told him there would be an issue with the plan.

"What gave you this notion?" Magneto asked with a gravelly voice, rubbing his chin as he contemplated the drastic action that might have to be taken if the test wasn't successful.

"It told me." I said, motioning a hand to the water beside me. "But for some reason he won't tell Xavier, something about _letting the events happen_, as if he doesn't want to interfere." I added, the more information I gave the better picture Magneto could paint on the situation. It did prove useful, it meant his plan was still anonymous, but he was sure it wouldn't take Charles long to figure out what he was up to.

"Good...if he won't interfere then we have time to see whether the test is successful. However, keep me posted on how much he knows, it might prove useful to persuade him we are the better option to find his true potential." He demanded, walking away with Mystique by his side.

I questioned what he meant by that, why would he join the brotherhood that made his sister betray him? Anyway, I was sure Xavier had deluded him in believing humanity could find peace with mutants, more lies he had woven.

"What makes you so sure he'll join?" I called after the two fast-paced mutants, my curiosity being my downfall one of these days. Magneto turned around with a snarky smile as he saw my pathetic stance by the machine, alone.

"Because of you my dear. Charles may have given him a home and an education, but he cannot give the family and love you can." He stated, my eyebrows creasing slightly. He didn't enlighten me further, walking down the corridor and back into the main part of the island, Mystique talking with him further when I was out of earshot.

"She's not ready." She insisted, irritated that I had jumped at the sound of her voice. Magneto simply chuckled as a response, however Mystique could not perceive what was so amusing.

"Do not underestimate her Mystique, she's come a long way from the snivelling child you brought before me." He reminded her, but she still didn't know what he saw in me, all she saw was the same lonely girl but with an attitude problem.

"She jumps at every little sound." She mumbled, not wanting all her hard work in training me gone to waste because I was unable to defend myself against the X-men. He was still determined to show faith in me until I finally proved him right, and he hadn't been wrong abut me yet.

"Are you surprised? How long did it take _you _Mystique to find the beautiful hard outer-shell that you are?"

He defended me, even if I didn't know it.

Mystique sighed, I had grown on her in a strange sense, even with all the hassle I caused her. She had to admit I tried my hardest with the confusing tactics and constant on-guard tests, but it would count for nothing if I didn't stop letting my emotions distract me.

"I don't know what else I can teach her." She spoke truthfully, thinking she had done all she could to train me physically.

"I trust you will find many more ways to train her, in time she will surprise you, that I am sure of." He finished, briefly stopping to kiss her hand in farewell before walking out of sight down another corridor. Mystique shook her head, maybe she would never understand what he saw in me.

"Might as well waste my time on her some more." She sighed, swiftly walking back down the corridor again in search of me in an attempt to train me one last time as the new age drew closer.

_The day she surprises me will be the day I turn human..._

Mystique scoffed internally, knowing the day would never come.

* * *

**Im sorry XD, I love little hints. Not much else to say except that I have uploaded The Mischievous Green-Eyed Brat of you want to check it out. Next chapter will be longer, I promise.**

**~ Gothgirlstrikesagain **


	17. The Bombshell

**Don't kill me!**

**I know some people won't like this, I know some will. I don't have an explanation as to why this happened, it just...happened. **

**Thank you everyone for the support, this is already over 4,000 views and counting!**

**next chapter I'll do another dedication thingy that I'd done ages ago near the start of this, it really does feel like a long time ago already XD.**

**thanks to Spirit Kiss ****for the review, I admit to chuckling at it, but as I'm reading over everything I realise just how much as changed in just a few chapters XD.**

**This is officially my longest story and I'm surprised that it's lasted this long, usually I lose concentration or I get mind block, but with this it doesn't happen often and i can usually get the inspiration to continue. **

**now for a short story about how I started fangirling over another character...so I was wondering what other films Aaron Stanford had done because he seemed familiar from somewhere else other than X-men, and that's where I realised that he played Birkhoff in the show Nikita. I've not watched the show, but I distinctly remembered the trailer and catching little bits of the first episode. I kinda found some tribute videos on YouTube, and well, I liked nerdy characters anyway, but seriously, Seymour damn Birkhoff is the best XD.**

**okay, so that's a little story because you know, why not?**

**only two weeks left before the end of term, yyyyyaaaaayyyy!**

**disclaimer:I only own OCs**

**with that done, on with the chapter...**

* * *

_Mom will be nicer,_

_I'll be so much better, I'll tell my brother,_

_Oh, I won't spill the milk at dinner,_

_I'll be so much better, I'll do everything right,_

_I'll be your little girl forever,_

_I'll go to sleep at night,_

_Pink ~ Family Portrait_

* * *

It was the chattering voices and the rushing footsteps that awoke me from the light slumber, instantly making me sit upright as I listened to the frantic noises more coherently. Connor snorkelled, then also woke up in groans as he heard the sprinting footsteps.

"Isaac, what's going on?" He slurred, rubbing his left eye as the other hand searched for his round glasses. I didn't answer, hastily grappling the bed sheets and yanking them out the way as I marched towards our bedroom door, already having an inkling as to what was happening.

I had heard Connor protest at my leave, but ignored his whines, focused on only getting to Logan's room that was about five corridors away. I hadn't seen the event in my future-seeing, but judging by the visions that had appeared around Logan and Rogue, I assumed what this moment was.

My bare feet bounced off the cold floor boards, every step silently wary as I was sure there were some crooked nails in the woodwork, and I sure wasn't going to have one of them scrape away a layer of skin. I wasn't dressed at all fashionably, a baggy white t-shirt and boxers, but I didn't have the time to waste on putting on less revealing clothes, it wouldn't really matter anyway.

Eventually I reached the corridor on which Logan's room was, finding a crowd of over ten students gazing into the room with horror and awe, and I silently imagined them as vultures crowding around a corpse. I managed to catch a glimpse of long flowing white hair, Professor Monroe luckily at the scene to command the students back to bed. I swivelled my thin frame around the students, trying my best to get a good look, only for connecting the dots later.

At that moment, Professor Monroe pushed past the students, my eyes seeing that Professor Summers and Dr Grey were also there, all of them also awestruck but acted quickly. They bustled around trying to help the unconscious Logan who had slumped to the floor, Professor Summers placing a pillow under his head. However, I only focused on Rogue, the final scars of Logan's claws healing to which there was no mark, her body twisting around uncertainly to face Professor Monroe, an apologetic look on her face.

"It was an accident." She stated, but Professor Monroe could only look at her with her mouth slightly open. I felt numerous breaths pass over the back of my neck as more students turned up to watch, my eyes catching Bobby, Kitty, Connor but no John, I guessed he refused to get up.

Suddenly Rogue tried to escape the room, every single student moving out of her way in fear. Not me, I stood in the centre, trying in some way to show there was no need for people to be scared of her.

"There was nothing else you could do." I whispered firmly, Rogue glancing at me briefly before shaking her head, manoeuvring around me so her flesh did not touch mine. Once she was out of sight, everyone looked back to Logan, except Bobby who looked as if he wanted to chase after the fleeing Rogue. She needed space, she needed to calm herself before everyone jumped on her with questions.

"Alright, everyone back to bed, now." Professor Monroe said firmly, all the students hastily sprinting away in a chaotic fashion, murmurs being exchanged as they left. I stayed though, even when Dr Grey turned her face away from Logan to tell me I had to go too. I couldn't hear her though, I was transfixed on Logan, wondering, despising how fast events were happening.

"Isaac, go back to bed, we can deal with this." Dr Grey tried again, suddenly appearing beside me with a hand gently clenched around my arm. My legs wouldn't move, my eyes wouldn't snap away form Logan, the room somehow in a spinning frenzy.

_Can't breathe, can't breathe, can't breathe!_

My legs turned to jelly as I stumbled to the floor, Dr Grey copying the motion as she fell down with me, keeping the steady grip on my arm. Ringing filled my ears as short gasps escaped my throat, but no oxygen travelled to my lungs, I was suspended in this panic attack.

_I'm going to die...again!_

I screeched internally, my mind mocking me with flashes of that crisp autumn day, the shimmering water crawling into my mouth in an attempt to take me to the final silence. I placed my hands over my ears, the ringing too much as I felt like my ear drums were about to burst, spraying crimson liquid onto the wood-decked floor.

_"Isaac, listen to my voice."_

With tears squeezing out the corners of my eyes, I did as commanded by the familiar voice of Professor X, the voice echoing inside my maniac mind which was still sending sparks of panic through my body.

_"Breathe slowly. In...and out. In...and out."_

I copied the slow rhythmic beat, clenching my eyes shut to stop the spinning spirals from burning into my pupils. Within minutes, I was slowly calming down again, able to listen as Logan was lumbered back onto his bed and given a check-up by Dr Grey, Professor Monroe taking her place by my side.

* * *

_**Everything became a blank, I couldn't hear anything, refusing to open my eyes in case a nightmare appeared before me. But it wasn't total silence, there was clear cries of a small child. Like a blind man, I used my arms as my eyes, extending them into the darkness, somehow finding myself on my suspiciously steady feet. The crying sounded close, so close, and yet echoed around me.**_

_"No more needles! Daddy! Make them stop, no more needles!" _

_**The scream ripped my soul. I knew it. There was no denying the squeaky voice was Sammy's, I must have been dreaming, I had to be dreaming, this couldn't be real. I moved in the direction of where the voice had come from, moving forward with balanced feet as it was impossible to know how big this room was, if it was a room at all.**_

_"It'll only hurt for a second baby girl, I promise."_

_**And that voice, why did it sound so familiar? The gruff southern accent clearly male, but surely, my mind would not be so cruel as to make me witness this. With every part of me screaming not to do it, I gingerly opened my eyes, blinded by bright surgical lights. **_

_**It was indeed a room, a large one like a warehouse, dimly lit by overhead lights however it wasn't too difficult to see this gigantic room was lined with row and row of surgical tables. Glistening objects of torture glinted under the bright lights, so much metal, I would have deemed it futuristic if it wasn't for the scene in front of me. My eyes could only focus on this one area.**_

_**Standing an inch in front of me was my Dad. Full doctor's uniform, the metallic circular object that they placed against your chest, that cold feeling as the doctor listened to your heartbeat. I managed to stifle a choke, confused by the scene before me. He was leaning over a metal surgical table, planting a soft kiss onto the sweat-dripped face of my sister.**_

_**She looked younger than four, too young, way too young for something as barbaric as this.**_

_**She was sobbing, crying out for him to make the pain stop. She was only wearing a white nightgown, even then, it was stained red as around four fully clothed doctors were jabbing her body with long, fine needles. It was sickening how they ignored her screams, having to clamp her arms and legs down with leather clamps and ropes, them groaning as she tried to struggle.**_

_**I stumbled backwards, unable to contemplate what these **__humans_ _**were doing to her. But it was Dad, how he gripped one of her hands tightly, her nails digging into his flesh to cause angry red punctures. He did not stop them, he just **__comforted_ _**her as they sucked up her blood like some vampire blood farm.**_

_**"Thank you Dr King for bringing such an adequate lab-rat, even for a mutant." **_

_**The voice sent fear through me, twisting my body around to stare straight into the face of the man who had kept me in that damned laboratory for six years. His face was clean shaven, not as I remembered, but it was clearly the same man by the many wrinkles on his face, that poised posture of a soldier undeniable.**_

_**"Don't call her a lab-rat Stryker, unless you want me to stop your little program!" Dad snarled at William Stryker, eyes glaring with loathing at the military man. Even though I was stood paralysed in front of him, Stryker didn't notice me, in fact, he walked **__through_ _**me. It was as if I was a hologram or ghost, having to watch an event from the past unfold. **_

_**"My, my Dr King, are you so naïve you think you have the authority to shut down my work?" Stryker dared, hands clasped behind his back as he strolled towards the surgical table, a smug smirk on his beastly face. There was no anger in me anymore, just by seeing the man that had caused so much suffering to so many mutants, I was left as a fearful child.**_

_**At his words, Dad growled and made to grab for Stryker's throat. In the end, he changed his mind and just gripped his tightly collar, attempting to snarl straight into his face as he heaved loudly in rage.**_

_**"We had a deal. You find a way to cure her, I give you all my research and give permission to use her as part of the cure." He hissed, but even he cringed at the barbaric nature of the words. I couldn't believe he was doing this, done this, to his own **__daughter__**. **_

_**"Yes we had a deal, and it still stands. We are more alike then you realise Dr King, after all, if things don't go as planned then Jason can always have a new playmate." Stryker choked against Dad's tugs on his uniform. Dad in turn bared his teeth, clearly tempted to strangle Stryker there and then. But his hands hesitated, and he released Stryker, tears glossing his eyes as he returned to my sister's side.**_

_**"It **__will_ _**go to plan, and when it's over, you make sure she never remembers any of this." He commanded, watching hopelessly as Sammy fell unconscious, her screams turning into gargles as the anaesthetic streamed through her body from a separate needle that was sunk into the crook of her arm.**_

_**"I'm sure I don't need to tell you how fragile the brain is, memories are so easily distorted, after all that is where insanity comes from. Unfortunately, once the memories are distorted or removed, it can leave a long lasting effect on the victim...patient." **_

_**Stryker corrected himself, but I had a feeling the slip up was intentional to anger Dad further. The other doctors quickly scarpered once they had what they wanted from Sammy, taking the vials of blood away to be analysed probably. When they had gone, Stryker had the nerve to walk up and stand by my Dad, placing a hand on his shoulder as they silently watched my sister's chest heave slowly. **_

_**"Replace them then, replace them with different memories, ones that won't scar her." He begged, no longer fighting back against Stryker, no longer having the strength to do so as his shoulders sagged. **_

_**"This notion of removing memories from a person is new Dr King, it is even yet to be proved successful, let alone replacing them with new ones. However, since Wilson didn't want anything to do with her, I'm sure she'll fit happily into your **__lovely_ _**family."**_

_What?_

_No...no, there is no way he is suggesting _that_!__  
_

_**"D**__**idn't your wife mention she wanted a baby? After all, since she was first brought here you two have had a bond, seeing as she is so young, it won't be too difficult to make her believe that she is your daughter."**_

_What!? _

_No...he's lying...this can't be...Sammy _is _my sister!_

**_"She's a mutant...I can't..." Dad fumbled lowly, shaking his head as he used a shaky hand to move black strands of Sammy's face._**

**_"Think of it this way, if you don't, she'll likely grow up to hate us and kill us like so many mutants before her...or I get a firing squad to shoot her. But if it comes to the second option, don't expect me to be merciful, my perceptions have changed since the weapon X program." He compromised, no emotion towards the little mutant girl lying unconscious in front of him, so many punctures wounds in her skin, said skin beginning to crack from how they had drained as much blood as possible, unknown how the water inside her rippled ferociously in rage._**

_**Tears streamed down my face as I gazed upon Dad, watching as he slowly agreed with the idea, so much love in his eyes for a child that wasn't even his. But no, it couldn't be true, there was no way that both Dad and Mom could pull off something like this, they couldn't just **act **like they cared for so long.**_

**_The scene pulsed as it faded away, my mind screaming for eternity as this short glimpse to the past revealed something I knew I could never tell Sammy_****_. _**

**_My own brain couldn't function with the knowledge, how, how could they have done that to her?_**

* * *

Eventually the image faded all together and I felt my body resurface into reality, the numb feeling in my limbs ceasing as the polish sensation of wood softly pressed against my fingers tips. I breathed heavily, attempting once again to calm myself down, but found I couldn't get back into the rhythmic beat that Professor X had created.

_**"Isaac, are you alright?"**_

I gasped, never so thankful to hear Professor X's voice in my mind.

"I'm...I'm fine now." I lied, opening my eyes to find the room in total darkness except for the blaring light of a lamp on Logan's bed drawer. Professor Monroe, Dr Grey and Professor Summers were all gone, the tight squeeze around my arm still imprinted through the fabric of my nightshirt.

I searched for Professor X, finding him in his own night wear beside Logan's bed, Wolverine beginning to stir. I was forced to breathe in the rhythm again as I shakily pulled myself to my feet, a heavy sway as my balance was way off normal, but I managed to correct it before I toppled to the floor again.

"How long..." I trailed off, my head pounding, Stryker's voice still haunting me.

"Only five minutes, but I assume to you it felt much longer." Professor X answered, but he didn't have to read my mind as I stayed in silence, confirming his statement. I strolled over to the two older men, hand placed against my head as if trying to mask the pulsating pain against it.

"She hasn't killed him, but she could've, right?" I asked, but I already knew the answer, Professor X raising his bald head up to look at me, a grave expression on his face.

"You do not need me to confirm it, but yes, she could have. Professor Summers informed me that you were no longer telling what you see in your visions." Professor X hinted lightly, pressing me to say something about it and thus beginning a debate that I should be telling him.

I moaned, the pain in my head more ferocious from the sizzling light that past over me from the lamp. I hoped Professor X wouldn't read my mind, not after the bombshell I had just witnessed in replay, still in denial that it was real.

"He's telling the truth. It's not that I'm ungrateful for what you've done for me, I just, people can't know the future or they can change it." I reasoned, but knew Professor X would argue nonetheless.

"While I agree, sometimes knowing the future can mean you can change it to a better one." He continued, and for the first time I saw a flicker of thirst on his face, this first being knowledge on what would happen in the upcoming times, mainly Magneto's plan.

"Magneto set his own path, you can't always be there to help him against himself. I know you two were once friends, I know about the beach in Cuba in nineteen sixty-two. Elijah told me about some of it, and now I see why Magneto hates humans. I'm sorry Professor, but you can't save everyone, even the people closest two you." I stated, emotion spurred on by irony as I remembered Sammy and how much alike the saying meant to me and her.

Just to think, all those times I thought, _we _thought we were family.

It was all a lie.

Crafted by Stryker, Dad, Mom and God knows who else. But why? Why go to so much trouble just to make one little girl believe she had a family? I know I was cruel by saying this, but it seemed so far fetched and not worth Stryker's time. It just made me wonder what fake memories he had placed inside _my_ head, maybe I was like Sammy, maybe Mom and Dad weren't my mom and dad either.

There was a long pause of tension-filled silence, Professor X focusing on Logan as he had an inner conversation with himself, thinking carefully on what he was about to say.

"Erik is closer to me than my own brother, we are like book-ends of the same soul. He needs hope Isaac, though the type of hope is uncertain. I met him as a young man, filled with rage and pain, I helped him see that he did not need rage to control his power, he needed the point between rage and serenity where many men do not dare to tread. By saving him, we save me, because I would rather spend a lifetime with him as a rival than watch him die due to his own demise. Which I believe would say the same between you and your sister."

I shuddered at his speech, finding the words involuntarily crawl into my brain and stay there. He sounded so ancient, more ancient than Elijah ever did, the tiring battle between him and Magneto. I couldn't hear the word _sister_, now it didn't sound right, but she _was _still my sister, the one I grew up with and idolised, no matter if we had the same genes or not.

"You do not need to tell me, it is your choice, I'm simply pleading with you to consider revealing one thing." He finished, eyes sadly locked on mine. I wanted to say no, but in my heart there was only one scene that scared me down to my soul (besides the one I had just been thrown into), and unfortunately wasn't as far away as I could ever hope it to be.

"One day the X-men won't have you there to guide them, they will have to fight against humanity and Magneto alone." I said sadly, unable to get the image of Professor X's death out of my head, all the flying objects that spiralled around the living room of the Grey House, the sharp shards of glass that reflected the forms of Magneto, The Phoenix, Professor X and Logan, him being in another room held up against the ceiling.

"There is only one thing I fear in this world, and that is the day humanity cease to exist." He confined in me, using that even/wise tone of his. I thought he was brave, true I had had my own close encounter with death and it was terrifying, but _knowing_ you were going to die, that is the worst feeling in the entire universe.

"Now off you go, I want you up bright and early tomorrow morning." He chuckled lightly, so expertly changing the subject that I couldn't protest. I was about to stumble away, still slightly disorientated when Professor X called my name. I turned back to look at the old mutant, his eyes suspiciously empathetic.

"If you ever wish to talk about what happened just now, I'm here to listen." Professor X said tentativly, briefly sending panic through me that he had used his telepathy to spy on what I had seen in the conscious vision. But it was wiped away almost instantly, if he did know, he wouldn't have been so vague on the subject.

"I'll keep that in mind sir." I mumbled, knowing he wouldn't let me leave without an adequate answer. If only I knew that my supposed sister had said the exact same words a year and a half ago.

"You may go, oh and be sure to inform Mr Norston that dilly dallying in hHe halls is not something to be done in the early hours of the morning." Professor X said with a joyful glint on his eyes, this being because he had likely heard Connor creak the floorboards outside the room. I answered by nodding my head, mumbling a _goodnight professor _and stumbled out of Logan's room, just in time to hear the Wolverine waken.

"Logan?"

"What happened? Is she alright?"

"She'll be alright."

I sighed with relief, glad that Professor X had actually confirmed it before I left.

_Must stay calm, no-one can know._

I commanded myself as I strolled down the empty corridors (Connor scarpering back to our dorm once he realised Professor X knew he was there, I didn't have the energy to chase after him), having an internal breakdown as I tried desperately to piece together what Stryker had meant. But I couldn't, my brain was unable to function under the lack of sleep. I decreed that as soon as the sun peeked on the horizon, I would be in the library on a computer and searching for anything that could be associated with the name _Wilson_. I didn't recognise it, at all, and it would take forever to pinpoint an exact person, but I had to do it, I had to do it for Sammy.

_She can never know, it would destroy her like Stryker had said, but I need to know whether this _Wilson _is still alive, and how he is connected with Stryker and Sammy._

With a loud yawn I rubbed my eyes, unknown as to how tired I actually was until I reached my dorm and hastily dove under my bed sheets. Connor pretended to snore, but the acting soon turned to genuine as he fell asleep almost instantly. I watched his sleeping form through a crack in the sheet covers, his bed placed on the same wall as mine.

In the end however, I shoved the sheets over my head And attempted to close my eyes.

The warm cocoon of the sheets was enough to send me into a deep sleep, only to be interrupted hours later by Elijah who hastily told me that Rogue had disappeared. It was midday when he told me, I had slept for twelve hours straight, but in truth I didn't want to wake up, because I knew I would have to accept that Sammy wasn't my sister, that she wasn't even family.

What was about to be done on liberty Island had to happen, and I couldn't be there to stop her. Even though Professor X had trusted me with most of the information he gave the X-men, he knew I was still young, saying I couldn't get involved in such potentially violent affairs. But I was already caught up in it, Sammy was, she was about help begin a war.

Was her name even Samantha? Or had Dad just made that up?

My mind was so confused and frazzled, unable to focus on one thing, between this new information about the UN summit, Sammy's secret and the future-seeing, there was too much cluster in my head.

I would just have to grit and bare it, take a step back. I would just act like a normal student, go to class and pretend that I didn't know the future. It would be unbearable, but I would just have to let everything unfold as to how it should unfold, sometimes pushing people in the right direction if so needed.

Sam would always be my sister, no matter what bombshells Stryker or anyone threw at me, she would _always _be my older sister. Even when I saw her in my visions, seeing how she effortlessly fought against Professor Monroe in her X-men uniform, this being on liberty island.

Sammy, what have you gotten yourself into?

* * *

Fair to say I was slightly jealous, Mystique gone to reek havoc at the X-mansion, attempting to delay Professor X for a while. Sometimes I wished I could be shapeshifter like her, pretend to be someone else so I could just know what John, Bobby, Kitty and Isaac were doing, because no matter how hard I tried not to think about it, I wanted to know whether they were okay.

Of course they would be okay, if I turned up now, they would despise me and likely not want anything to do with me. That was why I couldn't leave the brotherhood, I didn't want to, but if I did, nobody else in the world would take me, I was stuck with them until the end.

I walked hastily behind Magneto and Sabretooth, metal plates quickly removing from the walls to be used as a footpath as we went to see if the machine had worked. I was privileged to be able to see what it had done to Kelly, Magneto instantly coming to me with the invitation, followed by Sabretooth for back up if Kelly tried to do anything.

Somehow I doubted he would be needed, but we couldn't possibly know what powers Kelly would have, if he had any. The pathway was finished much quicker than I had anticipated, all of us stepping onto congregated damp rock as a circular cell door was compacted with iron bars, Magneto bending them aside with one flick of his hand; all dressed in his regal robes, but he wasn't wearing his helmet just yet.

"How are we feeling, Senator? Advanced I hope." Magneto quipped, stepping inside the cell. Something was wrong, even I could sense the slight confusion that radiated off Magneto. I peeked around him to see that Kelly was nowhere to be seen, except for a pair of expensive shoes that were tossed aside on the floor.

With an exhausted sigh, Magneto suddenly whipped his hand out, the other circular cell door ripping off the wall with a loud eruption. The sound jolted me, quite unexpected as I had been looking up at the ceiling, wondering whether he had gained the ability to stick to walls like Toad, he was definitely sly enough.

Magneto leaned over the edge of the now open circle, me unable to see whether Kelly was there or not, everything inaudible as wind raced around the room, gushing it's irritating noise everywhere.

"What the hell have you done to me?!" Kelly shouted above the wind, clearly horrified by the _advancement_. So it had worked, meaning the plan could go on ahead without one complication.

"Senator, this is pointless, where would you go?" Magneto mocked, and I assumed that Kelly was clinging to the rock surface under the circle like a trapped fly. "Who would take you in, now you're one of us?" He enlightened, me hearing the sound of Kelly sobbing pathetically because of this.

Without even having to give the order, Sabretooth stepped forward and bent down to pull Kelly up, Magneto having moved out of his way with a stern expression. A scream escaped Kelly's throat, perhaps because Sabretooth was gripping him tightly. I began to wonder what was taking so long, already prepped to leave outside the iron bars as I eagerly wanted to leave the island.

And then I heard it, a yell that echoed and became ever fainter. With a growl, Sabretooth stood hunched over like a hunchback, a piece of Kelly's suit in his hands. I rolled my eyes, trust the big bad kitty to loose his prey yet again. The mock was wiped off my face as Magneto stormed out of the cell, face one of absolute rage, one I hadn't properly seen him wear before, and it unnerved me into silence.

When he was out of the cell, he raised a hand, the iron bars clanking back to their original position, trapping Sabretooth inside. His head banged against the metal, the sight bringing a snicker out of me, his snarl of agitation giving a reason to mock him further. With one hand, I mimicked a cat's paw, with my fingers representing bared claws as I made a hissing sound.

Sabretooth glared at me, thinking up a thousand ways to make me suffer. I just laughed quietly as I walked away, not really looking forward to the terrible mood Magneto would be in from then on. But at least we knew the machine was working, so Kelly being lost wasn't a total complication on the plan and could easily be manoeuvred around.

"Insufferable animal." Magneto mumbled under his breath, to which I tried not to smirk at the comment, knowing better than to joke with him in such an angered state of mind. The panels moved back to their respected places as I marched behind Magneto, knowing I'd better keep up or I could just fall down into the bottomless abyss.

"What are we to do now?" I asked tentatively as we reached the safe side down the circular corridor towards the main room in which I had first met Magneto a year ago.

"If Mystique has done as instructed, then the mutant shall be at the train station, perfect for us to intercept." He decreed, the rage subsiding as his little fake smile creeped onto his face, knowing that Mystique wouldn't fail at her quest. I nodded my head stiffly, but my mind was somewhere else. Magneto noticed this, stopping abruptly which in turn stopped me as I was so used to following his example.

"What troubles you Aqua? I can see you are distracted, there is no point in denying it." He said, quirking an eyebrow in a manner that said I better tell the truth. It was stupid, childish even, but I had to know before the plan started roaring into action.

"You're the only one who has ever told me the truth about _his _experiments. And when ever I think about it, there's always something missing. I know I shouldn't be wasting my time thinking about it, but, everything about it is a blank. You don't forget something like that...you don't forget being a _lab-rat_." I spat the last word out, loathing it, even though it described what _he _had dome to me perfectly.

Magneto thought over my words, remembering a time when he too was considered such a thing that could be discarded so easily, though that had been a long time ago. With a light chuckle, he gently raised his hands to place them at the sides of my face, both of them levitating in the air just short of the skin.

"I've told you all I know about what happened to you, but I give my word, once this is over, I will help you finally understand what those Homo sapiens did to you." He promised, unknown to me that it was a hollow promise. I smiled my thanks, before he told me to prepare for the departure. Never feeling so happy as to leave the island, already tasting the crowded bustle that was the train station.

Finally time to meet the mutant with the power to absorb life forces, which was amazing and terrifying.

* * *

**I have nothing to say about that, I won't reveal who 'Wilson' is to the people that don't know, but the ones that do...it's gonna be an eccentric ride when he comes along XD. That is if he does *rubs hands with maniacal laughter*, I don't know, maybe I'll fit him in at some point in the story.**

**i hope it doesn't seem that I'm rushing the first x-men film, I'm trying to keep it that only the characters see certain events during the film, but I'm unsure whether that actually makes sense with the film plot itself. I hope so. I really want to start writing x-men 2, mainly because I have plans for Pyro and Aqua, but also because I really want to write the ending sequence for it, I have so many ideas!**

**But I'm going through this slowly, can't wait for the next chapter...**

**bye for now, please review!**

**~Gothgirlstrikesagain **


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